Into the Pokéverse
by xSokox
Summary: The world I only knew in my dreams. What if that world became my reality? Would I survive? Would I have what it takes? Knowing myself, no. What about with the help of new friends? Only time will tell. Self-Insert, BoyxBoy, RedxSelf. I do not own Pokémon; Nintendo does.
1. New Beginnings

Author's Note:

Just as a warning, this is my first fic, so don't expect anything "good." I've tried my best, and this is what I've come up with. All criticism is welcome though. So now, sit back and enjoy the story.

* * *

First things first. If you're expecting a short read, then this isn't for you. I've been trying to organize my thoughts for the past several years now, but it's never worked. I just keep losing my place because there's just so much to sift through. I think it'd be best if I wrote it down; I'd be able to come back to where I last left off without any problems.

Yes, this is a self-insert. It's one of the most overdone stories I've ever read. I've hoped over and over again for something like it to happen to me, but it doesn't seem like it. Maybe it won't ever. Or, maybe it already has? I'm not sure what's real and what's fantasy anymore. There are bits and pieces of my memory that are a bit foggy. I'll try to tell my story as clear as possible, but forgive me if I make a few errors here and there.

Let me tell you a little bit about me.

* * *

I'm a loner. I'm also a bit… "Insane," for lack of a better word. I talk to myself, but I try not to let it show. I guess it's due to the fact that I have no one. No, I'm not depressed. I'm actually quite happy this way. I'd like to have at least one special person in my life, though. It just doesn't bother me that I don't. I've gotten used to it.

Even though I say I'm a loner, many people I know wouldn't say that. I seem to be a normal person on the outside, but as many people say, no one truly knows what's going on with a person but that person. People consider to be my friend, but I don't really care for them at all. I know that seems rude, but it's the truth. That's another thing about me. I'm always blunt. I don't care if I hurt the person's feelings, and I don't care what the consequences are. I just say it like it is.

Another thing I should mention is that whenever I get into something, I get into it. Hard. No, not that way. I mean that I really get into it. I'm almost absorbed into the game I'm playing, the book I'm reading, anything really. My parents say that it's unhealthy, but it's just the way I am. I might be totally into one thing one day and something else the next day. It just depends on what mood I'm in.

The most important thing I should say has to do somewhat with my obsession. Whenever I interact with anything that contains a story, I fall in love with one of the characters. No matter what it is, there's always this one person I can't help but feel for. I don't mean that normally. Most people do have a favorite character in a book, but that's not where it ends for me. I actually fall in love with the character. I mean, seriously in love. It's not just me saying that. I feel as if I know the person and would do anything for them; even give up my life. Now, that normally changes quickly due to my quick change in interests, but the intensity is always the same.

Now, onto the real story.

* * *

I usually take walks late at night. Now, I don't walk because I want to exercise. No, I walk because it's the time when I think best. I'm usually so caught up in schoolwork that I do nothing but. Sometimes I just need to stop what I'm doing and relax; let my mind wander a little bit. I like it best, and think at my best, when it's twilight; the sun's just setting, there are blues and pinks and orange in the sky and everything is peaceful. I need silence obviously because who can think when it's noisy? I guess that's just a bonus of where I live. There's normally no one else around and people are inside doing what they normally do, not caring about someone who's walking down the street. If it was a larger city, then yes, they would be suspicious. Loneliness is another trait that suits me just fine. My mom walks our dogs once in a while, and whenever she asks me to go with her I have to say no. I just can't think with her being around and the dogs barking at everything that they see. Again, I don't like noise.

The night it all happened… Ah, yes… Or at least, I think it happened. I've always lived by the philosophy "I think, therefore I am." I never believe that anything else is real. I always think that something can be taken away from me at a moment's notice, so I never really get attached to anything. I think that's the reason I have my obsessions; they change extremely fast, so I'm never on one thing for too long. That changed for one particular subject though. Pokémon.

I know that most people think that Pokémon is a kid's game and that older people shouldn't be into it anymore. However, in my eyes, it's my childhood. It's my entire childhood. Pokémon has been my friend when no one else was. I wasn't ever really attached to any game in particular, but I was attached to the idea itself. I've been high and low with my obsession levels towards it, but it's always been there for me when I needed it. I used to be in love with Ash, but that was until I finally checked out the manga for myself.

Everyone was right. The manga was much better than the anime. The plot was better, the characters more developed, and much more lovable. Especially one character. Especially one boy. And of course, he just had to be the protagonist of the entire series. Of course he had to be the one that, if my prayers did come true, had to be the most out of my league. I don't always choose the main character as the one I love, but in this case it just happened to be so. I fell in love with Red as soon as I met him.

When it all happened, I was just walking down the usual trail that I picked out for myself: Across the street from my house, there's a little side street that curves around itself and pours out into the main road. I walk around in circles until I'm tired enough or when I've had enough time to myself. Normally I try to go out as late as possible. I don't know why, but it seems that I get less tired the later I go out. That's both a good and bad thing. It's good obviously because I'm in less pain, but it's also terrible because I'm one of those people who think that something's going to pop out from every corner and kill them. My logical side knows that it's close to impossible for that to happen to me, but it's always that "Maybe" that makes me scared.

The first couple of times around everything was fine. Everything was the same as it always is, nothing out of the ordinary. I normally feel as though something, or someone, is following me, so the feeling I got I had just brushed off as me being paranoid. Boy was I wrong. I sometimes close my eyes and just listen to the sounds, and that's when I didn't see the person in front of me and bumped into them.

The only intelligent thing I could say at that point was "Owwwww..."

Once I came out of my daze, the only words I could muster were "Are you ok?"

Of course he wasn't OK. I just bumped into the person and knocked them to the ground. Would I be OK if someone had bumped into me? Actually, scratch that. I fell down myself as well, and I'm not fine whatsoever.

"…" was the only response I got.

When I looked up, I couldn't help but feel like I've seen this person before. It was a boy, not much older than myself. I know I had never seen him before, but I just couldn't help but think of who he reminds me of. His hair was jet black, somewhat of a rarity in these parts. He was wearing a red vest over a black shirt, as well as armbands (Seriously, who wears those anymore?) The blue jeans were nothing odd; almost everyone wore those.

"Umm… are you ok? Do you need help?" Still nothing.

Quiet guy I suppose. Although, most would say that everything's fine (Even if it really isn't; that's one thing I hate. People faking their feelings.)

"So, you're actually able to see me? Heh, I thought I'd never find the one. His story seemed too farfetched for me to believe, but I guess he was telling the truth after all."

"Yes, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be able to see you?"

"Well, it's complicated. And unbelievable. Though, what's believable nowadays?"

"Could you please just tell me what's going on?" I was getting a little annoyed at this point. I don't like it when people beat around the bush.

"Alright, alright, don't need to get snappy. I'll tell you, but like I said, you probably won't believe me. First things first: do you know who I am?"

I've been asking myself the same question ever since I first looked up. I still couldn't figure out why he looks so familiar.

"You do seem familiar, but I just can't remember from where."

"Well, let me give you a little hint. Does the term 'Pokémon' mean anything to you?"

And then it hit me. If it hadn't, then I would've hit myself. How could I not have noticed it? He looked exactly like him. The attitude however was the thing that threw me off. Last time I heard him, he was a bit nicer than this.

"You're… you're Red, aren't you?"

"Sharp. Yes, I'm Red. So, now that you know who I am, could you tell me your name?"

"Ah, sorry. My name's Philippe."

"So, Philippe. You want to know why I'm here? Probably, considering that due to the fact you know where I'm from, you must think that I'm 'not real,' correct?"

He's sort of right. The logical part of me always thinks, well, logical. It says that this couldn't be happening and that it's all just a dream. However, the emotional part of me is telling me to shut up and just accept the gift that I've been given, even if it is a dream. I don't think it is, though. I remember too much of what's happened today. Usually in a dream I can't remember anything when I try to think back.

"Yeah. It's not as though I'm not happy to see you, I'm just wondering how it's possible for you to be here. The only explanation that I can currently think of is that this is all a dream, but that seems unlikely."

"Once again you're correct. This is all completely real. Do you have any questions so far?"

There's been one that I've been dying to ask: "There is one. Where's everyone else?"

Immediately you could feel the air get colder and the sky get darker.

"Oh… them. Well, something's happened, and they couldn't be here. That's actually what I was going to talk to you about. You see, something tragic happened. I can't exactly tell you what, because I can't remember it myself."

"Wait… if you can remember that something happened, why can't you remember what happened?" Could it be amnesia? Since they're always together, it probably occurred with him being around so he probably had it happen to himself as well. And since he's here, he must've survived. It doesn't mean he didn't receive any damage, though.

"I guess it's because I don't want to remember. You see, even though I can't remember exactly what was done, I can remember that I was the one who did it. I can't remember why I did it, though."

"But, aren't they your best friends? Why'd you do something to hurt them if you care for them so deeply?" This just isn't making any sense.

"That's what I don't understand either. I wouldn't even remember that I did something to them if it wasn't for him."

"Who's "him?" Now I was more curious than afraid.

"'Him' is my savior. Or, at least if what he's told me is true, he is. He told me that I was on track for my own self-destruction. He said that if I had continued, I would've eventually destroyed not only those I care about, but myself."

"How exactly did he save you?"

"Well, he hasn't technically saved me yet. He told me that the only way I could be saved was to start over, and that you were the key. He didn't actually tell me that "you" were the key, just that I had to find the one person who could communicate with me on this planet."

Ok, now I'm even more curious. If I'm the "key," what exactly did I have to do? And more importantly, why? On most of my walks I've always imagined myself in these bizarre scenarios where I was the hero and everyone else was in my debt, everyone needed me. I never thought that it could actually happen. Now, I don't know if I'll be the "hero" just yet. All I know is that I'm actually needed by someone.

"Yes, well, even if I am the key, there's still another question I have. Why me?"

"Well, that I can't answer. He didn't tell me any of the specifics. He only told me to find you, and the rest would fall into place."

"Ok, since you don't know then I won't ask you anymore. But, there is one more question. You said that to be saved, you would have to "start over." Do you know what he meant by that?"

"Personally I think that he actually means 'start over.' I think that he's saying that I have to go back to whenever it began, and start anew. I don't know exactly when it began, but that doesn't really matter now, does it? This me won't exist, because my past will be reshaped, thus creating an entirely new me."

"Are you sure you want that? I mean, it'd be giving up this life for a life you know nothing about."

"Well, what could possibly be worse than what's happened already? If anything, it'll just happen all over again and nothing will have changed."

"I guess you're right." Technically he was.

"Alright. So. Now that that's out of the way, how about we get started?"

"What do you mean 'started?'"

"Well, we do have to go to Kanto, right? I mean, that's where it all started."

I had completely forgotten that his entire life took place on another continent, another planet, another universe than mine. I had completely forgotten that his life was so different.

"So, how about it? Just take my hand, and we'll be on our way."

"Yes… let's get started."

And with that I took his hand in mine, saw the sky flash red, then felt nothing but the sensation of falling.


	2. Transformation

Falling… falling… did I mention it felt as if I was falling? Ah, yes, the sensation of falling. I usually like the feel of wind rushing past me, but not in this way. This time, it felt as if I was going to continue falling until I crashed into the ground. Well, whatever was under me, anyways. Just like one of those dreams where you envision yourself falling, and then you wake up right before you hit the ground. But this wasn't a dream. I was happy for that, because I wanted this to be real and not just a dream.

Now, when the sensation did end, I was in pitch black. Not normal darkness; this was creepy darkness. It was as if all light was sucked from the room. I could hear a faint humming coming from somewhere, but I couldn't pin it at any location. It was calming, like a melody that used to help me fall asleep when I was younger. It stripped me of all my senses, and I couldn't feel anything. I thought this was good, because if I had fallen I'd hate to imagine the amount of pain I'd be in. The humming kept lulling me to sleep, but I never actually "fell asleep." I was still vaguely aware of the sound which told me I was awake.

After what felt like an eternity, the humming began to die down and my senses started returning to me. First my hearing got sharper, although the humming was almost non-existent at that point, then my sense of smell got stronger. A little while later my sense of touch slowly came back to me and thankfully I wasn't in any pain. I did feel a bit funny though. I still couldn't open my eyes just yet, and this worried me.

After what felt like a second eternity, the pressure on my eyelids started to lift up and it felt as if I could open them. I know that I shouldn't just yet and that I should give them time to adjust, so I started by slowly opening them.

Pink. Pink. Everywhere. Literally, that was all there was. Every single little thing in the room was pink. There was a pink couch, pink chair, pink table, pink wall, pink flooring, everything. The only good thing about it is that it was a soft pink. Not a neon pink; that would've killed my eyesight right then and there.

"So, what do you think?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I mean, who sneaks up on people like that?

"Ahhhhh!"

"Tee-hee~ Why are you scared? There's nothing dangerous here."

It took me a while to calm down after the initial shock, but once I had it came back in full force. Maybe even more so this time. When I looked towards the voice, I couldn't believe what I saw. Even less than when I saw Red. This time, I saw a little girl, no more than 10 or 12 years of age. She was fairly normal looking, but there was one oddity about her. She had pink hair. The "odd" part about that was that it actually looked like her natural hair; not a dye. And for her clothes, it was a simple dress. Nothing fancy. Yet again, more pink.

"Yes, well, you wouldn't think that if someone else came up behind YOU and spoke without warning the other person." I was just speaking the truth.

"Well, maybe that's true, maybe that's not. I've never had it happen to me. Anyways, you weren't scared when you bumped into Red, and you didn't know _he _was right in front of you. What makes that different from now?"

"That's because I bumped into him, or he bumped into me, I'm not really sure which. It doesn't matter! We both went down when we collided, so I know that the person wouldn't be able to automatically react. Also, my neighborhood is one of the safest you'll find, so I didn't have anything to worry about anyways."

"Wait… Did you just say that you and Red "both went down?"

"Yes, and? What does that have to do with anything?"

"So, you both went down on each other?" She started giggling and it took me a while before I realized what she was hinting towards.

"W-what? I-I didn't mean it like that! You perverted little girl!"

"Well, it's just the way you said it made it sound like you wanted it to happen!"

"You're the one who emphasized that one little part of what I said!"

"Ha ha ha! But it's true!"

So what if it might be true? And of course, because I'm terrible at hiding that one emotion, my cheeks started to blush a deep shade of red. Which I find highly ironic.

"See? You're blushing so it must be true!"

"W-well… fine! It's true! So what? It's not like it'd ever happen…"

"You never know, do you? That's one thing you should really change about yourself Philippe. You never take any chances, so you'll never find out what could have been."

She's right. Back at school, there was this one guy I thought I liked. It turned out I never truly did, but at the time it felt so real. Anyways, because I was shy and didn't want to tell him myself, I just held back the truth and just envisioned what it would be like if someday I finally built up the courage to go up to him and tell him how I felt. I never did though. I still don't know if he liked me back or not.

"Wait… how do you know that I never take chances?"

"Well, when I was examining you I found out a whole bunch of things."

"You were examining me? Without my permission? What made you think that it was ok to search my body without my permission!"

"I don't need your permission to see how your body's working. I need to do it to make sure you won't die when you step into Kanto." She said angrily.

"Why do you have to be so angry about me asking? If anyone, I should be the one angry!"

Her sudden change in attitude made me even angrier.

"Ah, Philippe, I'm sorry I snapped at you… It's just that, I've never had a chance like this before, and I just don't want anything to go wrong. I don't want anything to happen you to." What she said confused me.

"That's alright, but, could you please tell me what you mean by chance?"

"Well, basically it's just that an opportunity like this has never arisen before for anyone, being able to bring someone from the outside realm in with us, and I was so excited that I nearly jumped at the chance."

"Alright. But, everything else you've said is also confusing me."

"So, should I explain everything to you then?"

"I think that'd be extremely helpful."

"What should I explain first then?"

"Maybe you should start with why you have to examine me."

"Ah, yes. Well, because you're going from one place to another, one that's completely different from your own world, we have to make sure that your body's ready for the stress. There's different climates, different atmospheres, different illnesses, different everything pretty much. Also, how would it make sense for a sixteen year old to be traveling with a bunch of ten year olds? That's the major part of 'getting your body ready.'"

"Wait, wait, hold up. Are you trying to tell me that you're going to completely change myself? That you're going to make me younger? That it's even _possible _for you to make me younger?"

"Philippe, Philippe, Philippe. Have you learned nothing from last night? With Red showing up, I thought you'd realize by now that anything is possible."

And now she's back to being her playful, somewhat mocking self. She said my name those three times like she would with "Tch tch tch…"

"I suppose… This is all just new to me and I don't know what to expect."

"That seems reasonable. It's not every day that something like this occurs; you weren't ready for it. Anyways, yes, it is possible. Very possible. For me, at least. I've been given special privileges that allow me to do so."

"Special privileges? By whom?"

"By someone very powerful. You'll meet him someday, but that day isn't today. Nor is it going to be anytime soon. You'll have just to be patient, ok?"

"I guess so…"

"Alright, now that that's settled, here's the part I'm almost positive you'll enjoy. Because I'm going to be modifying your body to accommodate all of the changes that this world has compared to yours, why not do a complete makeover? Why stop at just internal changes? I think, if you'd want to, I'd be able to change your physical appearance completely. I know how you've hated how you look for so long. And how, I'm not telling."

It didn't take me more than a couple of seconds to think that I should take the opportunity. I mean, I know that this is entirely possible back home, but when would I ever get the chance? I've been imagining how I'd want to look if I ever got the chance to completely alter my appearance, but I never thought that I'd actually get the opportunity. Well, it looks like I'm getting many things that I've never thought that I'd ever get. Although, there was one thing that was bothering me. There's one thing that I like about being one of the ones that wasn't beautiful or handsome. It was that I knew that if someone liked me while I'm looking the way that I am, that they'd like me for me and not just for looks. I know that it sounds ridiculous, but it's how I've been thinking for so long.

"I don't really think that it'd be such a great idea."

"What? Why not? We could make you anyone you wanted to be! Why don't you want to?"

"Well, I've just been thinking that if I did look good, that people would only like me for looks and not my personality. I'm not talking just intimate relationships either; I'm talking about friends as well."

"Hmm, you're one weird kid Philippe. Most people I know, and I know a lot of people, would jump at the chance to alter themselves to whatever they want. I guess that's one reason Red chose you. You're not like others."

At the mention of his name, I blushed once more and my mind wandered to thoughts of him. I have got to stop doing that.

"You must really like him, don't you?"

That snapped me back to reality.

"Ah… yes, I do."

"If it's not too nosy, I'd like to know what it is that makes you so enamored by him."

I didn't know what to do. I've never told anyone that I've ever had feelings so strong for someone before. I've been wanting to tell someone, but… I just haven't been able to. I think this time, though, I will.

"Well, if you really want to know… Alright. I think that the moment when I realized I truly loved Red is when I was out on one of my walks. I was talking to myself, wishing, hoping, and praying, to my God and to the Pokémon Gods, if there is such a thing, that my dream would become a reality. I actually was talking out loud, in public, and speaking that I love Red. I didn't care if anyone else was around to hear; in fact, I _wanted _people to know how I felt. I don't care what anyone else thinks! If they think I'm crazy, then be it! I was telling myself why I loved him and why he was different from the rest. I told him I would never betray him. I know that I've felt strongly about others, but none this strong. I know that I've said I would never betray them either, but they were different. The longest one besides Red was for almost five years; almost one third of my life time. But Red… He's with Pokémon, and Pokémon have been with me for my entire life. Red has always been there for me, even if I didn't know it at the time… even if I didn't know _him _at the time. He's always been looking out for me, and it took me this long to realize it. I thought that I had blown whatever chance I had at him and that I would never get another. But then, last night happened… and…and…"

I couldn't finish.

By this point, I was crying so hard that I couldn't see her anymore. I knew that she was near, because she had her hands on my shoulder and was leading me to her bed. When we got there, she helped me up and laid me down underneath the sheets. She tucked me in and made sure everything was alright.

"Philippe… you truly are special. Out of every person that I've ever met, and that's many, I have never found someone like you. Your love is pure and genuine. I have never felt a love so strong before…"

If it weren't about me, and if I wasn't in such a state at the moment, I would've laughed at how she had changed moods once again. It seems as though she does that a lot.

That made me feel… good. It felt good to finally tell someone how I felt, and now someone's telling me that it's the strongest emotion they've felt. It feels good to know that someone else is feeling what I feel. It gives me reassurance that it's real, that it's true. That I'm not just making the entire thing up.

"You need your rest. You're in too much of an emotional state to be of any help to me. Don't worry. I'll have everything finished by the time you wake up, and you'll be in Kanto. You don't have to worry about a thing. Just let me take care of it all. There are some more things I need to tell you, but I think that you have enough common sense to know what they are. I'll be checking in on you from time to time, so don't think that this is the last of me."

Then, she began humming again, and I fell asleep soon after. The last thing I could remember before falling asleep was that I never found out her name.


	3. Enter Red, Enter Green

Author's Note:

I could not have picked a worse time to start writing. What with all the finals to study for and projects to finish, I'm not able to write as much as I want to. I just want to let you know that I haven't just started writing, then thought to myself that I don't really want to do this and quit. I'm trying to fit as much time as I can into writing. I'll be able to spend much more time on it once school's out.

Disclaimer: And because I just thought of this, I might as well put it in to be safe. I do not own Pokémon or anything related to it such as games, shows, books, etc. I wish I was, but alas, that's not how it is.

* * *

Once again, it felt as if I was falling. There were a few differences this time. One, I could actually see what was going on around me. Two, I wasn't feeling dazed. And three, the girl did what she said she was going to do. She dropped me off in Kanto. The thing is…she literally "dropped" me off. I was falling. She said she'd take care of everything, but she decided to leave out that detail? Well, I can't be angry at her right now, mainly because I'm scared for my life. Although, she wouldn't do this kind of thing without planning ahead or at least knowing that I'd survive, right?

What was below me was a forest. Not your average sized forest, but a huge one. I couldn't see the end of it. I couldn't see through because the trees were so thickly woven together, it formed a barrier of sorts. I've only ever seen things like that in pictures, not in real life. I have to say, though, they can't capture everything it has to offer in a picture. It was breathtaking. Everything was so much more detailed than what I thought it'd be like, everything clearer than what I had seen before. The only thing that broke my gaze was when I broke through the trees.

Back home, I was never a risk taker. I always did things that I knew what the outcome was going to be, and I never did anything that was remotely dangerous. That's why I never got hurt. Nothing happened to me that I couldn't control either. I was lucky in that regard. So nothing could have prepared me for this. After a couple of minutes of falling, I started to reach the lower levels. Where the branches were. And let me tell you something, there were many of them. And I just had to hit each and every one.

After I finally hit the ground, the pain was immense. I don't know what to compare it to, because I've never felt anything this much before. It felt as if my legs were on fire, as well as having something sharp jabbed into them. My arms felt as if they were broken in multiple places. My stomach felt as if it had been cut open. You get the picture. It felt as if I were dying, which I probably was.

And then I felt a presence other than just regular forest life. I was getting scared at this point, because I knew that if it was anything that wanted to do me harm, I couldn't protect myself. At first I thought that, with my luck, it'd be a bear or any creature that could kill me if it wanted to. But then I remembered that I wasn't on Earth anymore, and that those beings probably didn't exist here, except for the Pokémon that resembled them.

I didn't hear it approaching, and that's probably because it was floating and didn't make a sound. I felt something brush up against my ear, and when I turned around was face to face with Mew. It'd make sense, considering that if I was to keep up with the plot, this would be the forest right outside Pallet Town, the forest that Mew was hiding in from Team Rocket. Knowing what it was, and it being Mew, made me feel much safer. Mew must've known that I was hurt (How could she not? By the way, I'm assuming Mew is a female and Mewtwo is a male.) because she started nuzzling against my cheek. Her nuzzling helped the pain subside a little, then a bit more, and eventually it was completely gone. It felt as if all the pain in my body was gone. And if that wasn't startling enough, all the pain _was_ gone. As well as all of my injuries. And with that, Mew went as soon as she came. I guess she just felt my pain and wanted to help me. Maybe she knew I was different? I don't know, but I think I might just find out when I see her again.

It took a while for me to get over the amazement of what had just happened and for me to examine myself. I'm glad I didn't before Mew had healed me, because I probably would've fainted from the shock of seeing what had happened to my body. The girl from yesterday (I don't know exactly how long ago it was; I'm just guessing.) said she was going to make alternations, right? Well, she had. I was shorter by a good few feet, obviously because I was several years younger than before. I was also skinnier; that's one thing that made me absolutely joyous. When I was young, I was absolutely skinny; not deathly, but I was much more than I was at sixteen. This is because at around the age of twelve I was put on medication that made me want to eat more. Well, I won't go into details, but you get the point. Another thing that I found out, that sort of confused me, was that my hair was the same length as it was before. I thought that she would've made me one-hundred percent how I was at ten, but it seems that she kept that. I used to have a shaved head back then but now I don't really like it. The rest of me she got correct. Since I didn't have a mirror or any reflective surface really, I couldn't see what I looked like. However, I was able to get a general picture as to what I looked like.

When I finally got enough strength to be able to move my legs around (Since I was sitting down for what felt like a long time, my legs had fallen asleep) I tried to get up. It was slow going at first, but eventually I was standing up straight. It seems that this is one thing that the girl changed without me knowing about it. Looks like I'm able to recover more quickly than I would if I was back home. I'm not sure if it's just for this one time, or if it's going to be like this every time, but I'm still grateful.

When I started looking around, I realized I was lost. Well, not really lost, considering I wasn't the one who got myself in this predicament. It was once again that girl who put me in this situation. It wasn't going to make any difference which way I went, so I just kept walking in the direction I chose.

After what I can only call an immense amount of time, I finally came to a break in the seemingly endless forest. I must've been walking for several hours if how large the forest looked from the sky is any indication as to how large it really is. Anyways, as I got closer to the break I could hear some voices.

"Dang! It bounced off again!" One said

"Let me have a try!" Said another.

"Think you can do it?" Do what, exactly?

If it was the same as the story, then it'd be the three kids trying to catch a Nidorino. And low and behold, it was. Now, there are some people who draw Pokémon in their style; basically, what they think they'd actually look like. Some draw them cute and chibi, others scary and hyper-realistic. They're actually a cross between the two. They aren't as cute as some imagine them to be, but they aren't monsters either. The developers actually got them pretty accurate. Of course, because this is real there has to be some changes obviously. Just imagine them to be a 3D version of what we already know them to look like.

"Yes! I know I can catch it! Here I go!" And the girl threw a pokéball, just like the other boy did earlier. And it failed to capture it, again like the other boy.

"W-What? It missed again!"

Obviously since they don't have Pokémon of their own they couldn't have weakened it. Which is exactly what Red thought.

"If you wanna catch a Pokémon, you have to weaken it first. Then you throw the pokéball."

Aaand my heart just skipped another beat. Is this going to happen every time I hear him speak?

"Watch carefully! Go, Poliwhirl!"

And out of the pokéball comes Poliwhirl. Pokémon actually do come out of their ball in a flash of light, and then slowly their form begins to take place. I'm starting to wonder if someone from this world went over to mine and dropped hints. It'd be entirely possible, considering Red was able to cross over. Another thing I've been wondering is, what are the insides of pokéballs like?

"Poliwhirl, use Water Gun!" And a shot of water came bursting from its body (I don't know where, and I don't think I want to know.), hitting the Nidorino head-on.

"Now that the Pokémon is weak, it should be able to be caught. Watch this!"

He took a pokéball from his belt, threw it at the Nidorino, and it disappeared in a flash of light. The pokéball shook for a couple of seconds, then grew still. He bent down to pick it up and exclaimed:

"And that kids is how you catch a Pokémon!"

"Wow! That was awesome!"

Ah, kids. Amused by the simplest of things. Then I remembered that I'm now a kid as well. Although, even if I did have the brain of a teen, it still amazed me as well. I guess it's because I've never seen something like that happen before.

"It was nothing, really. After all, I am the best!"

That you are Red, that you are.

"Red, do you know about Professor Oak?" One boy asked.

"You mean the old man who lives at the edge of town? What about him?" He replied.

"People say he's an expert on Pokémon. Do you think he'd be able to teach us?"

"What? Forget about him! You can learn everything you need to from me!" Red, being ever so cocky. However, I find it quite funny. Most people who don't know him would think that he's being arrogant, but the fact of the matter is he actually does become the best. He just doesn't know it yet.

"Maybe… but people say that he taught his own grandson everything he knows, and that he's a great trainer. Maybe even better than you."

"What? Better than me? No one can be better than me! I don't care how much his grandfather's taught him, no one's going to beat me!"

And then Red stormed off in the direction of the woods. He was so annoyed that he wasn't watching where he was going and bumped into something. And that something just happened to be me. I can't blame him though. I _was _hiding behind a bush, out of his range of sight. Well, that makes it twice in a row we've bumped into each other. Once when I bumped into him, once when he's bumped into me.

"Gah! I'm so sorry, I guess I wasn't- Hey, I haven't seen you around before. Are you new?"

And here I go with the speechlessness again. I just can't seem to talk with him around. The first time was an exception; I was in so much shock I didn't know what I was doing.

"Ahhh… I guess you could say that…"

"Well, it's always good to meet a new face! It gets so lonely here. No one ever comes to visit. Why do I have to live in such a small town?" He complains. And with that complaint comes a pouty face that I can't help but blush at. He just looks so damn cute!

"I have no idea… I kind of like quiet places… There's not as much pressure unlike the city life."

"Oh! Are you from a city? What's it like? It must be much better than this old place. That's one of the reasons why I want to be a Pokémon master. So I can finally leave!"

And there he goes with his cuteness. No matter what he does I can't help but think it's adorable

"Well, no. But I do know what they're like, and trust me, they're not all that great."

"But they must be… Uhh… What's your name again?"

"I… haven't told you my name yet?" Although, I can't really complain about him being rude. I haven't asked him his name, but that's because I already know it. He doesn't know I do, so I guess it is a bit rude.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I must've been so excited I forgot to ask you! So, what's your name?"

"My name's Philippe."

"Hm, what a peculiar name. I like it. So, Philippe. Are you into Pokémon?" Of course this is what he would ask. This is what he's always talking about.

"Well, could I ask you what your name is first?"

"Gah! There I go again! So sorry. My name's Red, and I'm the greatest Pokémon Master you'll ever meet!" And that's probably true.

"So," he continued, "_are_ you into Pokémon?"

"Well, I do like Pokémon, but I've never gotten the chance of owning one myself. I've always wanted to though. Ever since I was little."

"W-what? You don't own a Pokémon? Well, we've got to get you one right now!"

"Why? It's not like I'm in a rush." Actually, the truth is, I just wanted to spend some time talking with him; nothing else.

"Everyone has to have a Pokémon! Even if only one, it's the greatest thing in the world! Come on! It won't take long. You saw me catch that Nidorino, right?"

"Yeah, I saw you catch it. It's just that… I don't want just any Pokémon. I want one that I know will be the one for me. It's just… when I see it, I'll know that it's the one I want."

"Oh… Alright then. You're just going to have to come with me until you find that Pokémon! I'll give you a tour of the area and you just tell me when you see it, ok?" Is he always this eager and enthusiastic?

"So soon?"

"Yes so soon! Now come on!"

* * *

Once again I end up back in the forest, but this time with Red. I felt much safer knowing that I was with him. It only dawned on me now that I could've ran into a Pokémon at any time and not been able to defend myself.

"So, where to start… Aha! This way!" Red said to himself.

And so we began walking down a fairly used path. I kept hearing sounds, but could never pinpoint their exact location. I guess this is because there's so many creatures around us. I don't think that any of them will be the one I'm looking for however.

"Do you have a particular one in mind?" Red asked.

"Ummm… not really. Like I said, I'm not really 'looking' for one. I just know that I'll know it's the one when I see it."

"So in that case, I'm just gonna have to show you all I can!"

Red started running forward, and since he wasn't looking where he was going he bumped into a man wearing a strange black suit. Red then fell backwards upon impact.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, punk!"

"Waaahh!"

In the split second that the man turned around to yell at Red, I saw an insignia on his shirt. It looked like a basic "R" in total red. I guess this was a member of Team Rocket.

Red then noticed at the same time as I that the man he had just bumped into were carrying pokéballs.

"Hey, Philippe!" Red whispered. "Do you think that these guys are Pokémon trainers as well?"

"Yes, they probably are." I responded.

"What do you think they're doing here?"

"I don't know, why don't we listen and find out?" Normally I'm not the snooping type, and this technically wouldn't be called "snooping" considering I already know what they're here for, but since I know that we'll have to follow these guys I guess I'm just trying to keep us on track.

"Alright, men. She's hiding here somewhere! She couldn't have gotten far; we've recently spotted her! Even if she is called the Phantom Pokémon! Do anything you must to get to her!"

"'Phantom Pokémon?' Never heard of it. Have you Philippe?"

"Nope. I haven't heard of her either." Actually, I did, but I can't let him know that.

And while I was speaking Red was running in the same direction as the men had moments before.

"R-Red? Where are you going?" I yelled as I tried to catch up.

"Well, I'm going to catch this so called 'Phantom Pokémon!' Maybe it's even the one you've been looking for! We just have to find out!"

And so we began our search for the mysterious Phantom Pokémon. After the first five minutes we hadn't found a clue. Then ten had past, and ten became twenty, and twenty became thirty, and soon I began to lose count as to how much time had passed since we began.

"Red, I'm tired." I didn't mean to, but it came out a bit whiny.

"She must be close! Don't give up Philippe; just follow me!"

"That's what I've been doing for the past who knows how long!" And the moment I said that Red began to slow down.

"Shhhh… Philippe, I think I heard something. Do you?"

I strain my ears to see if I can hear what he's hearing, and he's right. I hear a noise coming from not too far ahead. It sounds like fighting…

Alright, you wanna know something? That's the one thing that I hate about knowing what's going to happen. Even if it's something bad, and because you know it's going to happen you're able to be prepared for it, it takes away all the fun and suspense from not knowing. Like, with playing games or reading books, I wish that I could somehow strip the memory of them from my brain and start all over again. I really hope that something like that happens to me… But then, I sort of wish that it wouldn't. If it did, then I wouldn't know about Red and what had happened before I was sent over here, and I wouldn't know how to be able to help him. Even though I don't know how I'm supposed to help him right now, at least for some of the tragedies that will befall him I can help him through. At least, I hope I'll be able to.

"Yeah… I think I hear something as well."

"Let's go check it out!" And with that, he starts inching towards the noise.

As we both get closer, the sound from the battle begins to get louder. We can soon see Green battling Mew. It seems a bit odd, seeing Mew heal me earlier and just as easily battle with Green now. Mew seems to have many powers that I didn't know she had.

"W-What? Someone's beaten us to it? I can't believe this!" Once again, he starts pouting. And again, I can't help but think it's adorable.

"Well, we _did_ take almost forever getting here. It's no wonder someone managed to get here before us."

"Charmander, go! Use flamethrower!"

"Whoa! A Pokémon! He must be a trainer too!" You don't say Red?

"Yes, and it looks like he's trying to catch the Phantom."

"You mean _your _Phantom! I don't care what you say, that has to be it! Although… I've never seen anything like it before in my life. And I've seen a _lot _of Pokémon."

"That's enough! Charmander, return!" And this is one point where I must say Green is a bit smarter than Red.

"Huh? What's he doing? He could've had it! Why'd he have Charmander return?"

"I guess he just doesn't think that he's able to defeat it." Which is true.

"Well, I guess it's my turn then! Go, Poliwhirl!" And here we go; the inevitable battle with Mew that will ultimately end with Red losing.

"Poliwhirl! Use water gun!" And just like with Nidorino, a blast of water shot out from who knows where and went towards Mew. But this time, instead of hitting her head-on, the water looped around in an arc and went back towards Poliwhirl with even more force than it originally had. I guess that's what you call a counterattack.

"P-Poliwhirl? Get up! You're alright; we almost had it!" Now it seemed as if Red was pleading with Poliwhirl. He must not like to lose.

"Tsk… Didn't you see? When I was battling it, I could tell that it was much more powerful than I. That's why I had Charmander return. You must know your own limitations as well as your Pokémon's. If you don't, then you're not only hurting yourself, but you're hurting them as well." With that being said, he turned around and walked away.

"…I… really lost…?"

"R-Red? Are you ok?" I was really worried about him now. He's completely different from how he was when we were looking for Mew. Now, he looks like he's on the verge of tears.

"Red, it's just one battle. It's nothing more… just a battle."

"P-Philippe, it may be just a battle to you, but to me it's much more than that! I have to be the best… I have to overcome everyone and everything I face! Otherwise… I'm nothing…"

"Red! Don't say that! Of course you're more than that! You helped me out, right? You took it upon yourself to try to help me find a Pokémon, and even if that didn't work out, we found one that you yourself said you hadn't ever seen before! Doesn't that count for something?"

"Yes… but-"

Before he finished, the men from earlier appeared out of nowhere again.

"The field! It looks like there was a fire not too long ago… You! You're those two kids from earlier! What did you do? What did you do to the Phantom Pokémon?" One was yelling at us.

"Forget them! The important thing is that it means it must still be here somewhere! Quickly, spread out and find it! Let's go!" Another shouted to the rest of his teammates.

And with that, they ran off in different directions in search of Mew. And that left me alone with Red once again.

"Red, please, don't beat yourself up over one loss. And, you didn't even know what you were fighting in the first place! You couldn't have possibly known how powerful it was, or how to fight it! It's not your fault." He didn't have to hate himself for acting like he did; it's just how he is.

"Well, that may be true, but what that boy said is true… Because of my need to be the best, I ended up hurting my own Pokémon… my friends…"

"Everyone makes mistakes once in a while Red. It's best to learn from them so you won't make them again in the future."

"Yes, I guess that's true…" He really seems beat up over this.

"So, where do you want to go now? Since the Phantom is gone, what else is there to do? Where else is there to go?" I asked him.

"Well, I know where I'm going. I'm not going to be able to help you find your Pokémon with how I am right now…"

"Well, where are you going then?" It doesn't matter; wherever he goes, I'm going to follow. Even if I wasn't obligated to follow him, I still would. I just can't bear to see him like this…

"I guess I'll be headed towards Professor Oak's lab. Everyone says he's the most knowledgeable person on Pokémon around, so I'm hoping that I'll be able to get some tips from him on how to be a better trainer. I never thought I'd ever go for him for help."

"Well… could I go with you? I mean, it's not like I have anything else to do."

"I guess that'd be ok. Besides, it'd be more fun than going by myself. And I could teach you all I know about Pokémon! Professor Oak can teach you about what I don't know myself." Well, that was a quick change in attitude. From depressed to over-enthusiastic in less than a minute. That's a record.

"Yeah; I don't know much about them, so I think anything you'd tell me would be more than what I know right now."

"Great! So, onto Professor Oak's Lab!" And with that, we were off.


	4. Marauding Machoke

Author's Note:

This will hopefully be the longest time between two chapters. I have finals at the start of next week, so I should have more time after that.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, or anything related to Pokémon. That would be Nintendo.

* * *

"So, do you think anyone's here?"

Red and I were finally in Professor Oak's lab. Finally, because we had spent so much time trying to find out how to get in. No, we weren't trying to steal anything. That's Blue's job, but Red doesn't know that yet. I knew we had to get in, so I kept pestering Red to try to find a way, even though he didn't want to bother the Professor. Which made no sense, considering it was his idea to ask for his advice in the first place.

When we finally got in, we took a little look around. There were papers and books everywhere; on the floor, on the tables, the desks, everywhere. If it had a flat surface and could support weight, it was covered. This must be why Oak is one of the best professors around. He takes so many notes.

"It doesn't look like it. Considering the lights were off when we came in." I answered.

"Well, I told you we shouldn't have come in. What's the point if he isn't even here?"

"We could wait for him; I mean, I have nothing better to do." I reply.

"It doesn't mean that I don't have plans! But, yeah… it just so happens I don't either, heh."

So we continued looking around while waiting. Eventually, Red came upon the massive amount of pokéballs that Oak had stored away. I don't know if they were other people's pokéballs or just his own, but it was still way too much for, in my opinion, one person to handle on their own.

"Sweet! Philippe, have you seen how many Pokémon this guy has?"

"Yeah, amazing… I never thought I'd ever see this many in one place before." I never thought I'd see _any _before, to tell the truth.

"Hey! I just had this idea. What if the Pokémon you're looking for is already owned by someone else? Like, what if someone already caught it?" Red suggested.

"Red, you don't mean you want to _steal _one of these, do you?" Now I was actually surprised. I never thought Red could be like that. Although, it made me feel special to know that he was thinking about doing it for me.

"I mean, come on! If someone else did own it, then how would you ever know without looking?" Red answered. After searching the multiple balls for one that looked like it could be 'special,' he came across one that _was _special. Can you guess which one it was?

"Hey, Philippe! Come look at this one!" And so I walk over to him.

"Hm, this one's peculiar… Then again, aren't they all?"

"Yeah! This one's got a bulb on its back! Let's see.. 'Bul…ba…saur…'"

And here's where I start to panic. Of course I knew that he would be coming eventually, but it still didn't prepare me. Red and I both turned around as soon as we heard someone opening the door to the lab, and soon we were face to face with the famous Professor Oak himself.

"Aha! So you two are the Pokémon Thieves!"

"W-what? N-no! You've got it all wrong!" Red yelled.

Red's yelling and defending of us had no effect, and Oak kept charging at us. Red ran backwards, and bumped into the table containing all of the pokéballs, releasing the contents inside.

All of Professor Oak's Pokémon being released at once… now that's a sight. Considering how many he has, it was extremely overwhelming. I was in shock of seeing just one Pokémon come out of its ball; Red's, to be exact. But to see over one hundred different Pokémon, of dozens of different species, being released at once… it's just amazing.

"Now look what you've done!" Oak yelled at Red and I. But, I didn't do anything!

"I didn't mean to!" Red yelled back. Don't you know that's not going to do any good?

"I don't care if you meant to or not! Just get them back!"

* * *

It took forever to re-catch the Pokémon. We had spent hours and hours looking here, looking there, looking everywhere. And the worst part is, when we were finished finding all of the ones in the lab, we still weren't "finished." I knew that there were still some who had managed to escape the lab entirely and are now outside, moving further and further away from us.

"That's the rest of them…" Red told Professor Oak.

"What? That's not all of them! There are still some missing!" Oak exclaimed.

"What? Please… don't tell me…"

"Yes, Red. I do believe that some have left the lab." I told him.

"Gah! I'll go get them for you!"

"Oh, no you don't, you two thieves! I'm not letting you out of my sight!" We're not thieves!

"But, we're not thieves!" Red literally took the words right out of my mouth. Well, mind, to be exact.

"I'm sorry that we came in uninvited! It's just, we wanted to meet you so badly, we couldn't wait and decided to come in to wait for you!" Red, protecting me again. He said "we" couldn't wait and decided to come in instead of "I." No one's ever protected me from anything back home. They always used to rat me out for everything that we did wrong, just so they wouldn't get in trouble. Again, I feel special.

"But, enough of that! We have to get the Pokémon back…" He still feels for the Pokémon. He still cares for them, even though they aren't his own.

"It's too late now, anyways. The sun's going down and it'll be too dark to find them, let alone your way around." Oak, always the logical one. Well, he has to be, to be a professor.

"Well, I'm not giving up! I don't care how dark or how late it gets, I'm going to find every last one of them!"

"You two can't do it by yourselves! You don't even know what Pokémon are still missing! You'd be running around for hours on end not knowing if you've found the right ones or not! Gah… I'd better go with you. If not for the sake of finding the Pokémon, then for the sake of not letting you out of my sights! But just remember, after this, I'm turning you two in!"

* * *

"So, where do you think they went?"

We had just left the lab, and were heading towards the road leading out of Pallet Town. I sure didn't know where we were going, so I hoped that either Red or Oak had a clue as to where the Pokémon might have went.

"Well, if I know my Pokémon, which hopefully I do, then I think they might have headed in that direction, towards Viridian City." Oak answered.

"Oh… yes! Finally!" Red exclaimed.

"What do you mean, 'finally?'" Oak asked.

"Well, Professor Oak. Red has been wanting to leave Pallet Town for quite a long while now, and I think he's just excited that his chance to leave has finally come." I try to explain to Oak.

"That makes sense. I remember my first time going to a large city…"

We continued walking in silence for several minutes. Then, I finally built up enough courage to ask the Professor,

"Um… Professor Oak… What were you doing before you came back?"

"Well, I was doing more research. That's all you need to know. You're still not off the hook for breaking into my lab!"

"Yeah, I know… I'm sorry, Professor Oak. If you knew what had happened earlier, even though it doesn't excuse us for what happened, I think you'd understand a bit more why we did what we did."

"Well, it'll take a while to get to Viridian City. I think we have enough time for you to explain yourself."

And so, I started telling Professor Oak everything that had happened since I met Red, including the part about Mew and Team Rocket. It took some time, so by the time I was finished I finished we were able to see Viridian City in the distance.

"Hey! Is that it up ahead?" Red said, interrupting Professor Oak and I.

"Yes, that's Viridian City." Oak answered.

"Finally!" And Red took off.

* * *

After spending what seemed to be several more hours (It seems that we've been spending a lot of time just walking around; more than I'm used to), we had found most of the missing Pokémon. There were still a few missing, so we kept at it.

"Hey! There's one!" Red exclaimed as he threw the pokéball.

"Gotcha! Alright, let's see… There should be only one left, Professor! Which one is it?"

"It seems to be… Bulbsaur."

"Red, isn't that the one you were looking at before the Professor walked in?" I said.

"Yeah! It was! Now, let's go find it!" And with Red not paying attention, he never saw that Bulbasaur was behind him this entire time.

"Uhh… Red? Look behind you." He turned around, and yelled.

"Ah! There you are!"

Bulbasaur begin running, and so did we. We must have chased it over half the city before it finally stopped running aimlessly and went into a building. And that building just so happened to be the abandoned Pokémon Gym.

"It went in there! Come on!" Red shouted.

As we entered, the cobwebs and dust had my allergies acting up in a flash, so I was coughing and sneezing like crazy.

"Philippe, are you alright? If you want, you could wait outside while the Professor and I find the Pokémon." Red offered.

"No, I'm alright. My allergies haven't been this bad in a while, so I was suspecting them to act up sooner or later."

"Alright, if you're sure."

"Will you two stop talking and help me over here?" The Professor shouted from across the room. While being engrossed in our conversation, neither Red nor I had noticed that Oak had Bulbasaur backed up in a corner.

"Ah, sorry Professor! We'll be there right away!" Red yelled as he was heading towards them.

"Just come quickly, before he-" And before he was able to finish, Bulbasaur had rammed into Oak's stomach, knocking him to the ground.

"W-what? I'm you're owner!" Oak yelled.

Red just kept running towards the Pokémon, while I was just trying to keep up with him. When Red finally caught up with the Professor and Bulbasaur, he slowed down.

"There, there. It's alright Bulbasaur. I'm not here to hurt you." He said in a slow, calming voice. It seemed that he was trying to calm Bulbasaur down.

"You've never seen anything other than the inside of the lab and the Professor, have you? You're just like me in that sense, never having seen anything outside of your home and the people who live with you. You've also been separated from the other Pokémon in the lab, right? It must have been really lonely. I don't know about being alone, but I know I wouldn't want to feel that way. I wouldn't want anyone else to feel that way either." As Red said that, I started tearing up a little. This was because this was how I was feeling before I had met him; all alone, with no one else.

"That's it. Everything's going to be all right." He continued while at the same time hugging Bulbasaur.

He stayed like that for a couple of moments, and then all three of us, Red, the Professor and I, heard a loud crashing noise coming from behind us. We all turned round at once and saw a huge Pokémon come stumbling towards us.

"W-what? It's a wild Machoke!" Red exclaimed alarmingly.

"T-that's a Machoke?" I screamed.

"Yes! What's it doing here?" Oak asked. If he didn't know, then I'm sure as hell neither would Red.

"I have no idea!" Yep. Just as I though, Red didn't know either.

"Well, let's just get out of here!" I suggested.

It sounded like a good plan at first, but then we quickly changed our minds when the Machoke ran in front of us, blocking the exit of the gym. It seemed as if he didn't want us to leave.

"Well, I guess we'll have to battle our way through! Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!" Red commanded.

Bulbasaur shot two vines from the bulb on its back, and both started to wrap themselves around the Machoke. I didn't think that they would be strong enough to hold the Pokémon in place, and I was right. Machoke soon began dragging Bulbasaur around by its own vines. Eventually, the Machoke caught up to the Professor (Whom it had been chasing for a while) and landed a direct hit to him in the chest, knocking him backwards. He slammed into the wall, and then slumped over.

"P-professor Oak!" I yelled. I had never seen anyone get hurt that badly before.

"Gah! Professor, what are Bulbasaur's best attacks?" Red asked from across the room.

"Professor? This isn't the time to be sleeping!" Red, he isn't sleeping! This is serious!

"I guess I'll have to think of something then… Hmm… Bulbasaur's a grass type… What do plants need to grow again? Water, nutrients, sunlight, oxygen… Wait… sunlight…" As he said that, Machoke charged once more, barely missing Red. Instead, he ran straight into one of the boarded up windows and completely demolished it, letting in the sunlight Red was just thinking of.

"Aha! That's it! Bulbasaur, begin charging up!"

The bulb on Bulbasaur's back started to glow a bright white, and a small orb of energy began to grow. First, it was the size of a baseball, but soon it was the size of a basketball, then even larger than that, until it was enormous. Soon after it stopped growing, Red shouted:

"Bulbasaur! Use Solar Beam!" And a huge beam of light came spewing from Bulbasaur's back, completely enveloping the Machoke. After the light had cleared, the Machoke was on the ground, knocked out cold.

"Yeah! We did it Bulbasaur!"

"So, you knew about Bulbasaur's Solar Beam all this time?" It looks like the Professor regained consciousness while we were all paying attention to the battle.

"Well, not really. But I've seen Pokémon similar to it use the attack, so I kinda guessed that it would be able to do the same. The bulb on its back is what gave me the idea."

"You're lucky that it did, or else we'd all be in some serious trouble."

Yes, we all would have. I don't know what I would've done if both the Professor and Red were unconscious. I probably would have broken down and been completely defenseless, which wouldn't have helped our position.

"Well, after all of that, it seems that Bulbasaur has taken a liking to you Red. I think it would be safe to let you keep him. Even though you were trying to steal him in the first place…"

"What? You really mean it? Oh, thank you Professor!"

"Yes, yes, take him and go."

"But, Professor… First, I have to clear both myself and Philippe. I want to be the best trainer ever, so I wanted to ask you for help on being a trainer. You see, we weren't there this morning to try to steal your Pokémon! We were-" Red started to explain, but was interrupted.

"Yeah, yeah, I know all about what happened to you and Philippe. He explained it to me while we were on our way over here."

"What? Philippe already told you?" Red asked.

"Yeah… I didn't want the Professor to think badly of us, so I told him. I don't like people thinking badly of me, especially when it wasn't something I did! And, because you're my friend now (at least, I hope he is), I also didn't want you to be in trouble. I guess that's because it was my idea in the first place to go inside…"

"Yeah, but Philippe, if I really hadn't have wanted to go, I wouldn't have let you drag me along! I went with you because I _wanted _to, not because you persuaded me to."

"Ah, thanks… That makes me feel better." And in reality, it did. It made me feel better to know that Red didn't blame me for this entire thing.

"Yes, well, Red. If you really want to be a better Pokémon trainer, then first you must answer this: what do _you_ think makes a trainer so great?" Oak asked, interrupting us this time.

"Well… his Pokémon, of course." Typical Red. Always stating the obvious.

"Yes, but what else? It's not just the trainer, and it's not just the Pokémon. It takes both to be a great trainer. It doesn't matter what moves the Pokémon knows, or what level it's at. It doesn't matter how much you train it. What really matters is how you communicate with your Pokémon, how you bond with them. You have to have a strong connection with your Pokémon in order for them to listen to you. It doesn't matter if they're strong enough to beat your opponent. If they don't listen to you, then they're not going to fight for you." Oak explained

"From what I saw when you were battling Machoke with Bulbasaur, it seems that you have an extremely strong connection with him. You acted with your heart, not your brain, and that's what allowed you to win." He continued.

"Therefore, I think it's safe to give this to you." He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small, rectangular item.

"What is this, Professor?"

"It's a Pokédex. It's a kind of 'Pokémon Encyclopedia.' Although, currently it has no data. That's where you come in. I want you to continue your journey to be the best, and I think it's quite possible you might, and while you're at it, record information on any Pokémon you see with this device. Who knows? It might help you."

"Yeah; it might. With all that info on my opponent's Pokémon, who knows what strategies we could come up with?" He said, and turned to me. I thought he had completely forgotten about me. Guess I was wrong.

"Ah, and you, Philippe. Come over here for a second." He asks. What could he want?

"Sure, Professor. What do you want?" I ask.

"Well, you seem to be the more cautious one, so I'd like you to do something for me as well. Well, it's not for _me, _but for Red. I want you to look out for him. From what I've seen, you seem to care about him a lot. I'm sure that you'll keep him out of trouble, right?"

"I'll try to do what I can, but I can't guarantee anything. You see how he is. Even if you don't, it's just… when he puts his mind to something, he doesn't give up. I don't think I'm going to be able to stop him if he really wants to do it." I explain to him.

"Well, just, try to keep him safe then."

"Yes, I'll do my best." And I will. Because if anything happens to Red, I don't think I'll be able to forgive myself.

"Phiiliiiiippppeeeee, are you and the Professor done talking yet?" Red whines.

"Yeah, we just finished." Oak replies.

"Ok! So, where do you want to go first?" Red asks.

"I don't really know… Do you have any suggestions, Professor?" I say.

"Well, if you really want my opinion, I'd suggest Viridian Forest. It's the closest area to here that's teeming with wild Pokémon. You should be able to find a good amount of Pokémon for the Pokédex in that one place."

"Alright then! Let's go, Philippe!"


	5. Mother Kangaskhan

I just realized something. I've spent more time with Red today, in just one day, than I have with my old friends for the entire time that I've known them. Sure, I see them at school every day, but I never hung out with them _after_ school or anything. I just never had anything in common with them, I guess. Which makes me wonder, once again, why I ever started being "friends" with them in the first place.

Anyways, Red and I were just entering Viridian Forest like the Professor had suggested we do. It took a while to get there, and all the way Red was pointing out various Pokémon that he thought I might like. He still hasn't forgotten about me not owning one, I guess. Why did I think he'd forget that easily anyways? He's obsessed with them.

"…And that one's a Caterpie! They don't seem like much, but once they evolve they're much cooler!" Red pointed out.

"A Butterfree's supposed to be 'cute,' not 'cool' Red." That's my opinion, at least.

"Fine, whatever. All Pokémon are cool in my opinion!"

"Yes, well, there's many more descriptive words you can use than just 'cool.'" Although, in most of my papers for school I used the same words over and over again.

"Well- Oh, look! There's a Weedle! They're just like Caterpie, although they turn out to be something much stronger than a Butterfree. And that something's called a 'Beedrill'"

"I can't really argue with you on that, because I don't know what Butterfree and Beedrill can do. If I knew their moves and stats, I'd be able to give my opinion." Even with my prior knowledge to Pokémon, playing the games and whatnot, I've rarely owned a Butterfree or Beedrill.

"Philippe, you're no fun, you know that?" Red says.

"Well, this is the real me." I state.

"Then what were you before?" He asks

"In shock." I reply.

"In shock of what? There's nothing that's happened for you to be in shock about!" Oh, Red, how wrong you are about that.

"Oh, so I guess running into strange men in the forest, running into a strange Pokémon that you've never seen before, meeting one of the most famous Pokémon Professors of all time, almost being _killed _by a Machoke, and being sent on a journey to complete an encyclopedia of _all _known, and unknown, Pokémon, is _nothing?"_ By the end I was yelling, but not because I was angry. No, it's because this is the first time I've actually gone through what's happened today, and I can't believe everything that we've done in such a short amount of time.

"Well, when you say it like that, it does sound exciting. It's just, it doesn't feel like we've gotten through any of it. Like, there's more to come." Red explains.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Everything that's happened today's just taken a toll on me. I've never had this much action in my life before, and all of a sudden everything's happening at once." Which is true; my life_ was_ boring.

"Once get out of this forest and hit Pewter City, then we can stop and rest for the night. It's starting to get a little spooky with no light out."

"_'Starting' _to get a little spooky? It's been spooky even before we entered the forest!" This is mainly because of all the Pokémon that I've never seen before making so much noise.

"At least we have my Pokémon to protect us! Isn't that right, Poliwhirl?" And as Red turns to where Poliwhirl is, or rather, was, he realizes that he isn't there anymore.

"Poliwhirl? Where are you?" Red asks, panicky.

"Red, look! Do you see a light up ahead?" I ask, suddenly seeing what I hadn't before.

"Yeah! Do you think that's where Poliwhirl went?"

"More than likely."

"Well then, let's go check it out!" Red says, speeding ahead.

As we got close enough to the light to see it's source, we saw Poliwhirl as well as a Charmander. And with that Charmander, we saw Green as well. Knowing what Green's like, it wasn't a shock to me that Poliwhirl was knocked unconscious. Typical. Just when I think things couldn't get any creepier, I find Red's rival, having beaten Red's only Pokémon. Well, one of the few he has Even though it's not really "creepy," it's still ironic, finding him in the middle of the night, all alone.

"So… it has an owner after all. Don't take it personally; it was charging at us, and Charmander was just protecting.

"Y-you did this? You… you'll pay!" Red shouts as he charges at Green.

"R-red! What do you think you're doing?" I shout, running after him.

"I'm getting revenge for Poliwhirl!"

"But fighting isn't going to solve anything! Violence only leads to more violence!" Which is why I've never fought in my life. Or, at least, that's what I keep telling myself.

"I don't care!" Red shouts back.

Green easily blocks Red's fist when he catches up with him.

"You're acting rash. Think. If we're both looking for Pokémon, then of course we're bound to meet up eventually. And, anyways, your Poliwhirl is who provoked us; it attacked first, so naturally we defended ourselves."

"So? All that matters is- Huh? Wait…" Red says, thinking deeply about _something. _What it is, I have no idea.

"Huh? Ah! You're that boy from earlier! Why do you keep-" Red started, but was soon interrupted by a loud noise coming from behind us. And it seemed to be getting closer.

"W-what's that noise?"

"I don't know!" I really don't know this time; it seems to have slipped my mind as to which Pokémon this is.

"Aha! It's finally here! I've been looking for you, Kangaskhan!" So _that's _what it was. Meh, I can't remember everything.

"You've been testing my patience… I was almost ready to give up! But here you are, and now you're mine! Charmander, use flamethrower!" …What? Is that the only attack he knows?

From what it looks like, the flamethrower had no effect at all on the Kangaskhan. It's like a match and a rock. Is the match going to do much to the rock? Of course not.

"Ok then, now to record what data I can find…" Green says while pulling out his Pokédex.

"Wait… that's…!" Red says, while pulling out his own. Am I the only one without one?

"Wha- Hahahahaha!" Green laughs.

"Wait, what's so funny?" Red shouts angrily.

"My grandfather told me he had given one to another trainer, but I never thought it'd be you! To think, of all the people it could have been…"

"Huh? G-grandfather? You mean you're… You're Professor Oak's grandson?"

"Yes? What does it matter anyways? No matter, even if he saw any sort of potential in you, you'll never be better than me! I'll show you how a battle's won! Charmander, another flamethrower!"

To me, it seems as if Charmander's just wasting its energy using those multiple flamethrowers, because it still doesn't seem to be having any effect. Green seems to see something I don't, however.

"There! That oughta do it! You're mine now!" Green throws a Pokéball after his statement. Kangaskhan blocks it easily.

"W-what? It didn't work? Bah! Charmander, weaken it further with another flamethrower!"

Now, it seems that the flamethrowers are having some sort of effect on Kangaskhan. He _must've _seen something I didn't. Still, she doesn't seem to be fighting back. Red notices this as well.

"What? Kangaskhan surely has enough power to fight back, but… why isn't it?" Red exclaims.

"Red, look! At her pouch!"

"Huh?" Red says, confused. He eventually looks to where I had pointed and sees what I see.

"Ah! Q-quick! Stop attacking! You'll hurt the-"

"Don't you think about stealing this Pokémon like you did with the one from earlier! This one's mine!" Green seems to be oblivious to the fact that Kangaskhan has a baby in her pouch, and all she's doing is trying to protect it. A mother protecting her young.

"I don't care what you think! Just stop attacking!" Red continues to scream.

"No! Back off!" Green shouts as he shoves Red away.

"Poliwhirl! Stop them!" Red yells to his Pokémon.

Looks like Poliwhirl's recovered enough to be able to get back on his feet. As soon as he hears Red's command, he turns around to face Charmander, then lets out a burst of water aimed for its tail. It's a direct hit, and Charmander goes down.

"W-what do you think you're doing, you-"

"Are you ok? Are you hurt?" Red says as he's running to the Kangaskhan. I stop my spectating and decide to try to explain this all to Green while Red tends to the baby.

"Green, I know that you're the more logical one out of the two of you, Red and Green. You're probably more logical than me as well, but look closely at Kangaskhan." I give him a little time to notice. His eyes widen when he figures it out.

"You see? Red wasn't trying to 'steal' your Pokémon; we've been accused of that enough already. He was only trying to protect her baby."

"How did I not see it?" Green mutters to himself.

"While you were too busy trying to catch it you were blinded to everything else."

"Bah! It doesn't matter; if Red hadn't gotten in the way, I would've been able to catch both of them without hurting the baby!"

"Do you really think that, Green?"

"Yes, yes I do!" And he storms off.

I walk back to Red after Green's left and start helping him nurse the baby back to health.

"So… all that's left is just applying the medicine and bandaging him. You think you can do that?"

"Yeah, if I couldn't do that much then where would I be? I haven't had much help with anything, so I've had to learn it all by myself." I answer.

"You… haven't had anyone to teach you? Nothing?" Red seems surprised by this.

"Nope. Nothing at all. Well, besides regular school. What I mean is, no one's been there to teach me life skills."

"Oh…" And Red falls silent as he continues to watch my progress. I actually lied a little; In truth, I have no idea what I'm doing.

"Philippe, you're doing it all wrong. Here, let me show you." He takes my hands and starts correcting my movements. I blush because of how close he is to me. I know that right now, he's only ten, eleven, somewhere around that age, but it doesn't bother me. Why? Because I'm the same.

"…And there you have it. See? It isn't that hard, once you know how to do it."

"Thanks, Red." I reply softly.

"No problem. Now, how about we get ourselves to Pewter City? It's got to be like, what, 10 o'clock already?" Red exclaims.

Wait… only 10pm? It can't be only 10pm. It feels like I've been here for days, and in reality it's been less than one!

"Really? Only 10? It feels like it's been forever." I tell Red.

"Yeah, it feels that way for me as well. If it didn't, now _that _would be strange, considering how much we've been through today." Red has a point there. He seems to be making a lot of those lately.

We kept walking in the same direction that Green had been walking in for quite some time, although, considering how I've been with measuring time, it might have been much shorter. Neither of us spoke the rest of the way. We just enjoyed the quietness; it was a relief after all that had happened.

The first thing we did when we arrived at Pewter City was look for a Pokémon Center. Neither of us had any money, so we couldn't afford to stay at a fancy hotel or anything like that. I'm not even sure if Pewter City _had _one of those. We checked in with Nurse Joy, and she led us to our rooms. For the record, Nurse Joy is much nicer than she's portrayed, if that's even possible.

"Uh, Philippe? I think you should check this out." What could he want?

"Yeah, Red?" I say as I'm walking towards our room.

"There might be a problem with this…" And I see what he means as I walk through the door. There's only one bed.

"Ah… well, this shouldn't be a problem. You can have the bed, and I'll sleep on the floor." I offer. I've been able to sleep on the floor in the past; I usually toss and turn in bed and fall off the sides without waking up.

"No, I couldn't let you do that! You're the one who was complaining about being tired from all the walking today; I think it'd be best if you took the bed." Red insists.

"I'm serious, I don't mind taking the floor. It's alright." I try to reason with him.

"Well, it seems as though we're not going to get anywhere with this, so how about we both take the bed? I mean, nothing's going to happen if we share one, right?"

If I was blushing in the forest, that's nothing compared to how I am now. Did Red seriously suggest that we share a bed? The thing that makes this even worse is that I've never shared a bed with anyone in my life; not even with my parents when I was younger.

"W-what? S-share a bed?" I stutter.

"Yeah, that's right. There's nothing wrong with two guys sharing a bed, is there?" He replies

"N-no. Nothing's wrong with it…" Red seems to not mind this at all. Hmm… wonder why.

"Alright then. Now that that's settled, how about we actually get to know each other now? I mean, with how everything's been going today, we've rarely had a chance to talk. I mean, I don't even know how old you are or when your birthday is!"

"Alright. So, starting with those two things, I'm si- ten years old." I almost blew it. Well, not really, considering he wouldn't have believed me anyways. But still.

"And my birthday is February 2nd." I finish.

"Well, that makes me one year older than you! I'm eleven, obviously, and my birthday's August 8th." He replies.

"So, your birthday's not too far away then, is it?"

"Nope! Not at all!" He sounds excited by this.

"Hm… that raises another question. What will your parents think about you just getting up and leaving home to start on a journey? A journey for a man you just met this morning?" I've been wondering about this for a while, but never got a chance to ask.

"Well, Professor Oak told me that he'd let my mom know about everything when he got back to Pallet Town, so that's taken care of. Now, I have to ask the same about you. What about _your _parents? I've been with you since this morning, so you couldn't have seen them all day! They have to be worried!" Well, that didn't go as planned. My question completely backfired on me. Now, _I'm _the one having to think of an excuse.

"Well, I know they aren't just yet. They probably will be once I don't come back, but… I don't care! I know it sounds terrible, saying that I don't care about if my parents worry or not, but that's just how I feel. My parents have always tried to shelter me, they've tried to keep me safe, and it's worked so far… but now, I just want to do what I want; not what anyone else wants. I don't like being safe. It's just no fun!" I exclaim.

"Philippe, I know what you mean about how being safe isn't any fun, but… how could you not care about your parents?" Red asks, concerned.

"It's not that I don't care about _them_, it's that I don't care if they worry for me or not. They've never had to worry, and, personally, I think that it's time they learned how it felt." I've always felt this way, but I've never actually told anyone. It feels good to do so.

"But, why don't you? I thought all kids wouldn't want their parents to worry about them."

"I don't really have an answer to that. I guess… I've never really been close to my family. I've never been close to anyone, really. I've always been thought of as 'crazy' because everyone sees me talking to myself. Not the normal 'funny' talking to yourself, but actually _talking _to myself. Like, I'm two different people, and one person's one side of the conversation while the other person's the other side. The only reason why I do that is because there's no one out there I can tell the things I tell myself."

"Well, Philippe. I don't know how you feel about this, but… if you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm always here. I hope you know that. Even though we've just met, I feel like we've been best friends for a while." I really hope I'll be able to, Red.

"That's probably because of how many times you've saved my life today." I tell him.

"What? Saved your life? When did I do that?" Red asks.

"Well, first was when you helped me not get noticed by the men we met in Viridian Forest. Second was, again, with the same men later on. Third was when you knocked over the Professor's Pokéballs; I know that that's not really 'saving my life,' but who knows what the Professor would've done if you hadn't? Anyways, you did save my life with the Machoke. That I won't let you argue." I list.

"Now that you put it that way, I guess I did save your life many times. That just means you owe me a _lot _from here on out!" Red exclaims.

"Yeah, well, from what you've shown about your personality, I'm guessing I'll have many opportunities to do so! You'll probably risk _both _of our lives every day!" I answer back.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to watch out for one another, eh?" Red says.

"Yeah, I guess we will." I reply.

"Hmm… I wonder what time it is. Whatever, it's still late. I think we should both go to bed for now. We have a lot to do tomorrow, so we'll need rest." Red states.

"Yeah, I think so too." I agree.

I get into bed first, and not too long after Red does the same. I feel the warmth of his body as he climbs in next to me, and immediately I feel so much safer. I've never had anyone so close to me before; I kind of like it. The only thing I don't like about this is that we'll probably never have this opportunity again because of the other travelers we'll be picking up along the way. With them around, I'll never be able to talk to Red like I did tonight, let alone sleep with him. I guess I'll just have to enjoy it while it lasts.


	6. My Pal Pikachu

Author's Note:

I really hope that I'll be able to remember to do these in the future. Anyways, now that school's over, I'll hopefully be able to write more and more often than before. And, sorry if it seems that I'm repeating things that I've already said, some things seem out of order, or I'm forgetting some things. I try to do my best with that, but I can sometimes miss.

Disclaimer:

Once again, I have to say that I don't own Pokémon or anything related to it. I always wish that I do, or at least that it was real, but it just isn't how it is.

* * *

I'm dreaming. Or, at least, I'm not with Red anymore. No, I'm back where I was when I originally came here. In that pink room, with that pink girl. Although, I know a lot more than I did when I was last here, even if it was only a day ago. And I have quite a few questions I'd like to ask.

"So, how do you like it so far?" She asks, in that happy tone she usually has.

"Well, I like it, despite the fact that I've almost been killed several times in one day. Which is several more than average." I respond.

"So, I'm guessing you've had the run in with Machoke?" She asks.

"Yes, of course I did. If it's part of the plot, it's happened. Or going to happen, anyways."

"I see. Sorry that I had to drop you in without any warning; I didn't have as much time as I had wanted to getting everything ready." She explains.

"Yes; too busy running away from Team Rocket, I presume?"

"So you've already figured it out? Huh. I thought it'd take you much longer." She says. I think she just called me stupid.

"Well, I had my suspicions, what with all the pink, but when you healed me, I knew it was you. You're Mew, right?"

"Yes, I am. However, how did you figure it out so quickly?" She asks.

"Well, like I said, when you healed me I knew. Mainly because Mew isn't supposed to have anything to do with the plot just yet; no interactions. When she found me a few minutes after I had landed, I knew something was up."

"Yes, that is true. Although… there's one thing I'm wondering. You said you knew who I was, yet it sounds as if you're not completely sure of yourself. Why is that?" She says teasingly. Very much different from her tone earlier. Not sure why, though. Maybe to lighten the mood? I _was _talking about me almost being killed.

"I'm never sure of myself. You should know that from all of your snooping around in my memories."

"Yes, you're quite right with that. Hmm… do you know why I've brought you here again?"

"Not really. One moment I was sleeping next to Red, the next I'm here. Why is that?" I ask.

"Well, you're going to see a lot of me from now on. Basically, every time you go to sleep it's going to be as if you're 'saving,' using the same term from the games. All I need is for you to check in with me every night to make sure everything's going smoothly. If something's going wrong, I want to know about it so I can fix it as soon as possible. Like I said, there wasn't enough time for me to prepare you for everything, so there might be some minor errors."

"You're making this sound as if this is a programmed world, and I'm just the test subject." I really hope that isn't the case. If it is, then none of this would be real.

"No, no, this is all very real Philippe. I'm just worried that something's going to go wrong and you're going to get hurt."

"Well, you didn't seem to have prepared me for the fall. Although, I guess I can't stay mad at you seeing as you _did _heal me right afterwards." I say.

"Yes; I try my best to fix my mistakes."

There was a short period of silence after that, neither of us knowing what to say.

"So, Mew. How is it that you're Human here, and Pokémon back there?" I ask.

"I was waiting for you to ask that. I don't really know myself; you know the person I was talking about earlier, my 'master?' Well, I guess it's because of him. He seems to do things that not even us legendaries know are possible." She answers.

"So, I'm guessing it's not quite time for me to learn who he is?" I ask, curious.

"Nope. To tell you the truth, not even _we_ know who he is. We just know that he's there." Interesting. A "master" that they don't even know the identity of.

"Alright, then. You said you wanted to check in with me every night, right? Well, nothing's gone wrong today. Or at least, nothing majorly. Except for, you know, when I almost got killed."

"Oh, will you stop it with that? Your life's going to be in danger hundreds, maybe even thousands of times before your journey's over with. You _do _know that you're going to be traveling all over the place, right? You're not _just _going to bed with Red. You're going to have to be with Gold, Ruby, Diamond, Black, Silver, Pearl, Sapphire, and everyone else as well. I know Red's your chosen, but that's just how it is." She explains. I kind of guessed that if it was following the plot, I'd have to be with everyone. She just confirmed it.

"Well, that just makes it more difficult for you, it seems." I tell her.

"And how is that?"

"Well, if I'm going to have to be with everyone, you're going to have to find a way to incorporate me into all of their journeys, considering they all start out separate from one another. Also, I know you turned me ten to make it so I wouldn't look suspicious with Red, but what about everyone else? They're still going to be this young when they begin their journeys, and I'm going to be one year younger than Red all the time. When I'm with Gold, I'll be 13 and he'll be 11. I know that isn't much of a difference, but what about when I'm with Sapphire, and I'm 15 and she's 11? _That _wouldn't seem normal, now would it?" Right now, I think I'm just trying to mess around with her.

"Well, I'll worry about that when the time comes. You _do _know that since you're ten right now, you being 15 is five years away, right? It won't be happening for quite some time now."

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm just wondering how you're going to be able to pull it off."

"Well, that's for me to think of, and you to just see." She states.

"And, Philippe, there is a second reason why I brought you here. I know that Red told you that you're able to tell him anything; don't ask me how I know. But… I also know that there are some things that you _can't _tell him. Not because you don't want to, but because you can't. Philippe, Red and I are both here for you. You can tell Red things you can't tell me, and you can tell me things you can't tell Red." She says, both seriously and reassuringly. It seems like, when I'm talking with Mew, that the mood and topic of the conversation can change in the blink of an eye.

"But… If you know about Red saying that to me, then aren't you able to know everything I tell him?" I ask.

"No. Philippe, if there are things you really don't want me to know, then I won't be able to know them, even if I try to peer inside your mind. If you want them private, then private they'll remain. Most things I'm not able to see; that's why I need you to tell me. How I was able to see that, I don't know either."

"So… is there anything you'd like to tell me?" She asks.

"Well, there are a couple things… Mew… The main thing I'm worrying about right now is… what if he isn't like that? I mean, I know my feelings for him, but… what if he doesn't feel the same way? Would I just be wasting my time chasing after him?" That was biggest concern for now.

"Philippe, like you said before, you usually never know how something's going to turn out because you don't take risks. If you don't take this risk, if you don't ask him, then you'll never know how he feels. Now, if you were to ask for my advice as to how to tell him, I'd say, don't do it just yet. I mean, you're both ten and eleven." She answers.

"Mew, I know not to ask him just yet. The problem is… I don't know _when _I should. I don't even know _how. _This is the first time I've ever really thought of telling a person how I feel about them, and… I'm scared."

"It's not going to happen for a long time, and I know that that's the biggest thing. You're anxious about what's going to happen in the future. Philippe, don't. Just go along with what happens, and don't question it. Be with Red, have fun, make new friends with Blue and, maybe, even Green. Just don't worry about it. When the time comes, the time comes." She says, trying to comfort me.

"I'll try… but Mew… I don't know if I can." I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to feel completely fine around Red. I try to act it, but on the inside… I feel like I'm dying.

"I know you can Philippe. Now, it's about time for you to wake up. I know that we're not through with this conversation just yet, but… try to hold out until tonight. We'll talk more then."

And so, I do. I start to black out again, and instead of going unconscious, I wake up, returning to consciousness.

* * *

When I wake up, I'm glad that I can still feel the warmth of Red besides me. That also means that it must be early, because I'm almost positive he'd be one to get up before I normally do. I don't want to wake him, so I just lie there and think about what's happened so far. I know I've spoken with Mew about it, but I haven't really gotten a chance to think about it by myself. The first thing I think about is how I've been acting with Red. I seem to be having mood swings all the time, but I guess that's because I'm a teenager; even if I'm in the body of a ten year old. I also think about how little I know about Red. I know whatever the books have said about him, but I don't know that much on a personal level. I'm probably going to ask him more about himself later, but not now. Once we get closer. And thirdly, I think about everything Mew has said to me. One thing she said is that she'll be there for me, and listen to whatever I can't tell Red. I do hope I'm able to keep it together until tonight. She also said that she'd be checking up on me every night to make sure that things haven't gone awry. What could possible go wrong, though? I stop there because I don't want to imagine. Even if I hadn't myself, I still would've had to stop, because at this point I feel Red shifting.

"Mhmmmm… Philippe? Are you still there?" Red asks, groggily.

"Yeah, I've never left." I answer.

"That's good… Were you waiting long?"

"Not really. I didn't wake up that long ago." Actually, I don't know how long ago it was.

"Sorry if I sound like a kid… I'm just used to sleeping in the same room as my mom, and I feel safe knowing she's there… knowing that someone's with me." Well, technically, you are one Red. And so am I.

"I never knew that feeling; I've always slept alone. But, I guess that makes me know how it feels to wake up alone, and how it feels to not want to." I say.

"Oh… I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's alright; you couldn't have." I say.

"Ah… yes. Well, if that's it… we should really get going then…" Red says as he gets out of bed.

I wish it could be like this every day. Either Red waiting for me, or me waiting for Red. I know that it probably won't ever happen again, but I can still dream, can't I?

After we're both ready, we head out of our room and head for wherever. We don't have a destination in mind, so we just go where we feel like. We continue this for a while, until we see some kids running. They seem to be chasing something.

"There! I see it!" One yells.

"Where'd it go?" A second asks.

"There! I saw it go there!" A third points.

They all run in the same direction, and almost run into Red and I. One's a bit slower than the others, so when they finally got to us the others were already long gone.

"W-what? They left me again? Ohhhh, that's just like them!" He says to himself.

"Ummm… I don't like to intrude, but what were your friends doing? We just saw them a couple minutes ago." Red asks.

"You did? Well, we were chasing after this Pokémon we had never seen before until we lost it. We all decided to split up to look for it, and I guess they all found it without me. They're always leaving me behind!"

"Well, don't worry. Could we help you look for them, as well as the Pokémon?" I ask.

"Sure! You two can lead the way!" He says, enthusiastically.

We begin walking around again, but at least this time we have an actual goal in mind. We continue looking for the kids, and we eventually find them. This time, they all surrounding the Pokémon they were searching for. And the Pokémon happens to be none other than Pikachu. _The _Pikachu. The one that's the most well-known of all Red's Pokémon. And I'm here to see him catch it. Well, I'm not sure if he's going to catch it at this very moment, but I'm going to make sure that when he does, I'm there.

The kids inch closer to the Pikachu. One gets close enough that they decide to try to catch it. They swing a giant net (Where do they get these things?) and successfully trap the Pikachu, but knowing both mainstream Pikachus (Ash's and Red's), it soon uses a thunderbolt and escapes.

"Owwwwwwww! Why'd it have to do that?" The kid screams

"Well, you _did _throw a gigantic net over it. How would _you _like it if someone trapped you?" I say.

"Who asked you?" He shouts again.

"Actually, you did." Red answers.

"Well, it doesn't matter! All that matters is that the Pokémon's getting away!"

"Well, you're right about that! Let's go, Philippe!" Red shouts behind him as he begins chasing the Pikachu.

"Wait for me then!" I yell, trying to keep up.

* * *

It seems that all I've been doing since I arrived here is chasing after one thing or another. First, I was wandering around the woods after I fell, trying to find my way out. Then I was trying to keep up with Red when he was looking for 'my special Pokémon.' After that was us trying to keep away from Team Rocket. Then we had to catch all of the Pokémon in Professor Oak's lab, as well as run all the way to Viridian City to find the Pokémon that had run all the way there. We also had to walk all the way to Pewter city (Without running shoes, I might add), and finally, here we are. Chasing after Pikachu. Twice. In one day. I really think I won't be able to keep up with this pace much longer.

Eventually, we _do _find Pikachu, and this time he's backed up in a corner. How he got there in the first place, I have no idea. No one was chasing him, or at least, he didn't know anyone was, so I don't know why he chose this place to run off too. Anyways, Red picks a pokéball and throws it. This time, Red seems to be smarter than he was during previous battles. He sends out Bulbasaur instead of Poliwhirl; I hope it's because he knows that electric attacks are strong against water Pokémon, and not just because he wants to test out the latest addition to his team.

"Bulbasaur! Keep it in place with vine whip!" Red commands.

Bulbasaur shoots out two vines from either side of its bulb, and it seems to be effective in keeping Pikachu from being able to move.

Pikachu seems to have another idea in mind, and sends volts of electricity up Bulbasaur's vines. The shock stuns Bulbasaur long enough for Pikachu to be able to escape the trap.

"Gah! Bulbasaur, snap out of it!" Red shouts.

It takes a while, but Bulbsaur eventually shakes off the paralysis (If only it were that easy; status ailments like paralysis wearing off in a couple of turns) and is ready to fight.

"Try another vine whip!" And Bulbasaur does the same as before. He shoots out two vines, and successfully traps Pikachu.

"Quickly! Use sleep powder before it can attack back!" He says.

Bulbasaur obeys his command again, and spores shoot out from its bulb this time. As soon as they hit Pikachu, he begins to wobble in place a little, and soon collapses.

"Alright! Now for another capture! Go, pokéball!" And he throws one, it envelopes Pikachu in a white light, closes, and shakes for a bit until eventually stopping. Wow. If only Pokémon were this easy to catch in the games. Put them to sleep, then throw a pokéball.

While this was going on, neither of us noticed the crowd that had gathered. They must have been watching the entire battle, and after they saw that Pikachu had been caught they starting cheering. I wonder why.

"Great! You've saved us from that beast! He's been ruining this town for who knows how long?" Obviously not you. But I wouldn't say that out loud.

"Oh, it was nothing, really." Red says, blushing a little.

"Yeah; you didn't even know it was making a mess in the first place! You just wanted another Pokémon on your team, isn't that right?" I tease.

"Oh, stop it Philippe!" He responds, blushing even more.

"Well, knowing or not, we still have to thank you somehow!" Now it's my turn to blush.

"No, no, no. We don't need anything!" I say.

"Nonsense! How about we treat you to a meal?" He asks.

"Alright! Thanks!" Red shouts. I guess he doesn't mind taking compliments or rewards. I personally want it as well, but that's only because I haven't eaten all day. If Red hadn't agreed, I would've gone much longer without eating. So, in a way, I'm kind of glad he did.

* * *

If this is what they call a "meal," I'm scared to see what they'd call a "feast." There was all sorts of different kinds of foods. Some I'm familiar with, others I'm not. I guess they're really thankful to have went to all this trouble.

"We're so glad that you came! If you hadn't, we don't know what that pest would've done next! He was ruining everything with all of his mischief." The same man from earlier says.

"Well, I'm glad I could help. And it got me a new buddy as well!" Red says in-between eating.

"So, where are you two from? You don't look familiar, so you must have come from quite a ways." Another woman asks.

"Well, I'm from Pallet Town!" Red answers.

"And I'd… rather not say." I say, quietly.

"Ah, alright. Now, what brings you two here?" The man asks. They sure are snoopy.

"Well, I'm here for this!" Red says, as he pulls out his Pokédex.

"Wow! What is that?"

"Well, I'll show you!" Red then pulls out Pikachu's pokéball and points the device towards it. The Pokédex lights up and on the screen appears all of Pikachu's stats, including its place of origin, as well as age.

"That still doesn't tell us what it is, or what it does." The man says.

"Well, it shows what it does, but you're right. It still doesn't explain what it is. How about you tell him, Red?" I say.

"Well, it's a device given to me by a friend. He asked for me to collect information on all of the Pokémon in the world! And that's over one hundred!" You're approximately five hundred or so off, Red. Well, the "over" part makes it include the 648 that I know of. So, you're actually safe. For now.

"Well, that sounds like a hard journey you have ahead of you. We all wish you the best of luck!"

"Thanks! Well, it seems to be getting late; Philippe and I have a lot to do if we wanna get some progress made on completing this thing! Thanks for the food!" Red says.

"Don't mention it!" The man says. We both get up and start to leave.

Now that we're full, I guess it'll be much easier to concentrate. Well, at least for me. I was having an exceptionally hard time keeping up with everyone while we were chasing Pikachu because I hadn't eaten all day. Hopefully that won't happen again. The having a hard time keeping up part. Well, I guess I also hope that we won't have to chase Pikachu again. We begin walking in no general direction; we have no set goal in mind once again.

"…Hey!" Red suddenly shouts.

"What is it, Red?" I ask.

"What if _this _is the one you're looking for?" He says.

"Are you seriously going on about this again? I've told you time and time again that I'll let you know once I see it."

"But … You won't know until you actually communicate with it!" Red whines.

"Well, fine then. Send Pikachu out and we'll see how we get along." I give in.

"Alright! Come on out, Pikachu!" Red sends the pokéball flying, and out pops Pikachu.

"So, Pikachu." I state. "How do you feel about us becoming friends?" I finish.

Pikachu starts walking up to me, and begins sniffing. Is he a dog or what? Anyways, after a while he makes the noise that all Pokémon make; their name. It's actually really cute. He then walks into my chest (I was sitting down) and starts nuzzling.

"Awwww, see? He likes you!" Red says.

"Yes, but _you're _the one who caught him, so he's _your _Pokémon." I state.

"That doesn't mean anything! If he likes you, then he should be yours!" Red continues to argue.

"He must like you too! I mean, you're the one who caught him after all." I try to get Red to take back Pikachu.

"Well, let's see then. Hey, Pikachu…" And when Red tries to stroke Pikachu's cheeks, he all of a sudden hits Red with an electric shock.

"Gah!" Red yells as he's thrown back.

"R-Red! Are you all right?" I ask, worried.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. But didn't I tell you? He doesn't like me at all; it's you he wants to be with!" And Red's still on that.

I'm trying everything I can for Red to take back Pikachu; this is mainly because I know that he has to have him. Pikachu is his "poster Pokémon," so I don't know what'd happen if he didn't have him.

"Philippe, I'm not taking no for an answer. Pikachu is yours, and I'm not gonna stop until you the ball's in your hand!"

"Red, are you sure that you want to give me Pikachu?" I ask.

"Yes! I just caught him because I wanted another Pokémon. He really seems to have taken an interest in you, so it's you he should be with! Here's his pokéball." Red says, as he's handing me Pikachu's ball.

I slowly reach my hand out, knowing that if I take it, the entire course of the story's going to change. Well, at least with Red. It probably won't change anyone else's life, but I don't care about anyone else's life! Not for now, at least. All that I care about right now is Red, and this will affect him immensely. Eventually I decide that I'm not going to change Red's mind, no matter what I do, so I reach my hand out all the way and take the ball.

"There! Now, that wasn't so hard, was it? Anyways, now you have your first Pokémon!" Red says enthusiastically. Yes… my very first Pokémon. And it just so happens to be Pikachu. I never would've guessed.

"Well, I guess that makes another rival." A voice says from behind us. We both turn around and see Green standing there.

"H-hey! What're you doing here?" Red asks, defensively.

"Well, I was just wandering around when I saw you two here. I was just coming over here to see what you two were doing. I guess that since you gave Philippe a Pokémon, that makes both of us rivals as well, doesn't it?" Green states.

"Why would that make me a rival? We don't share the same goals; I'm just here to follow Red." I say.

"Even if you're just following Red, that makes you on his side. And if you're on his side, then that makes you my rival. Also, now that you have a Pokémon, that means that you're now eligible to battle. So, how about it?"…What? Did Green just say what I think he just said? Did he actually just challenge me to a battle?

"Are you asking me to battle?" I ask.

"Yes, that's exactly what I just said." Green says back.

"Philippe! You can't battle Green! You've never battled before in your life!" Red shouts.

"Well, I'll eventually have to have my first battle, so why not here?" I say. Which is true; if I keep on putting off battling because I've never fought before, then I never will.

"Alright then. How's a one-on-one battle sound?" Green asks.

"Technically, we _have _to do a one-on-one, considering I only have one to begin with." I state matter-of-factly.

"I guess that makes sense. So! I guess you already know which Pokémon I'm going to choose?"

"Yes; Charmander, right?" It's the obvious answer.

"Exactly!" Green shouts as he sends out Charmander.

After Charmander's sent out, I tell Pikachu to get in front and get ready.

"Charmander! Use flamethrower!" Green commands.

Instinctively, although where I gained those instincts I will never know, I tell Pikachu to dive to the left. Amazingly, he obeys, and dodges the flames.

"Pikachu! Use shock wave!" I yell.

Pikachu sends out a giant ball of electricity from its cheeks (Why its cheeks, I don't know) that flies towards Charmander.

"Charmander, move to the right!" Charmander does as he's told, but he doesn't quite dodge the attack. Most of it misses, but the static that's emanating from the orb makes its way up and down Charmander's body, paralyzing it.

"Charmander! Shake it off!" Green yells. Doesn't he know that yelling doesn't solve anything? Charmander tries to move, but can't due to the paralysis.

"P-Pikachu, use quick attack!" I shout nervously. I'm hoping that my luck doesn't fail me and Charmander recovers before Pikachu makes its way across the field. It doesn't, and Pikachu's attack hits Charmander directly in the chest. The attack knocks Charmander down, but he isn't quite out yet. It also seems to get rid of the paralysis.

"Charmander, slash!"

Charmander's claws land a direct hit on Pikachu, and he goes flying backwards.

"Pikachu!" I yell. I really hope that it wasn't a critical; if this world's logic is the same as the game's, then the Pokémon caught around this area aren't that strong and can be easily knocked out.

Somehow Pikachu manages to get up, although a bit dazed. I quickly tell Pikachu to use another shock wave and one does manage to come out, although smaller than the first. This one manages to hit Charmander with all its force, and knocks Charmander down once more. This time, however, Charmander doesn't get back up. If all Pokémon battles are this quick, I wonder how people can have so much fun with them. I hope it's just because both of our Pokémon are relatively new.

"Charmander, get back up! We can't let him win!" Green shouts angrily.

Charmander tries to get up at the sound of his owner's voice, but can't. He just falls back to the ground.

"Philippe! You actually won! You won your first Pokémon battle, and against Green too!" Red says excitedly. I think he's only happy that I won so Green won't be able to rub it in his face; or mine, not sure which.

"W-what? I lost? Bah, that was just a lucky victory! Next time it won't be so easy!" Green shouts as he returns Charmander to his pokéball, and then storms off.

"That was amazing Philippe! I can't believe you're a natural at this!" I can't either Red. I never thought that I'd be able to win any of my battles. I knew that I'd have to have them, but I was counting on Red and everyone else to make up for my shortcomings. I never expected to actually win.

"Yeah… I don't know where it came from. I'm just worried about Pikachu." I say, gathering Pikachu up in my arms.

"Well, don't worry about Pikachu. Pokémon are stronger than you think. Anyways, Green's Charmander's in a worse condition than he is!" Red says happily.

"Yeah… Pikachu, you can return to your pokéball now for a rest." I say as I call Pikachu back.

"Well, now that you've had your first battle, how about we take Pikachu back to the Pokémon center? I also need to rest up my Pokémon; While we were out chasing after Pikachu, I saw some fliers for this thing called a 'Pokémon Gym.' It seems to be some sort of competition, and if you're able to collect a certain number of 'badges' from gyms all across the region, you get to compete in a national tournament!" Red says.

"Alright. I was planning on getting him healed anyways. I don't want Pikachu to feel like this for long."

We start heading back to the Pokémon center, but when we get there we see a sign that says "Closed Except for Emergencies." Huh. I never thought Pokémon centers _could _be closed. At least they're admitting emergencies.

"Awwww! Now what am I supposed to do about these guys?" Red complains.

"Well, maybe you could heal them a little using the medicine you brought with you?" I suggest.

"Yeah; they don't really need that much healing, so that'd- wait, how did you know that I have medicine with me?" Uh-oh; caught.

"Uh… well, you see, I was kind of looking through you bag to see what you had brought along, just so I'd know what to look for the next time we went shopping!" I say defensively.

"Oh, that's all right then." Phew. I dodged that one.

"So, how much longer until the leader's accepting another match?" I ask.

"The flier says that the next match is in… approximately one hour." He responds.

"Well, what do we do until then?"

"How about we train? I think I have enough potions to last us until the gym opens."

"Alright; just remember, I might not be as good as I was while I was against Green; I think he's right, and that it was just beginner's luck!" I try to assure him.

"I don't think it was! I just think you have a natural born talent." He says. Then we begin to battle.


	7. Boulder Badge

Author's Note:

So, here's another chapter. I'm glad that they're coming quicker than they were, and I hope that this will continue. I also hope that I'll continue to receive reviews; tell me if you have any suggestions as to what I could put in.

Disclaimer:

I don't own Pokémon, nor anything related with Pokémon. Nintendo and Game Freak do.

* * *

"So, Red. Think it's about time the gym opened?" I asked. We've been battling for the past hour, so I hope that's given Red's Pokémon enough training to be able to stand up to Brock. He has Poliwhirl and Bulbasaur, so that gives him the type advantage as well. I'm just glad Pikachu doesn't have to go through this battle.

"Yeah, it should be opening right about now." He responds. And, as if by magic, as soon as he says that, the doors to the gym open up. Now, I've never been into an actual gym before; I only know what we've been shown, so I had no preparation for what I was about to see. Gyms aren't what we think they are. No, they're much, much larger. And instead of just fighting through normal gym members leading up to the leader, you have to fight other people competing for the badge. And only one person gets to earn it. Unless they lose to the leader, of course.

"Well, this is a change." I say.

"Yeah; I've never seen anything like it!"

"Hey, look. Isn't that Brock fighting someone?" I point out.

"Yeah! Who do you think it is?" Red asks.

"I don't know. Let's get a closer look." I suggest. We both get closer to the platform, and Red gasps when he sees that it's Green who's fighting Brock.

"Green? What's he doing here?" Red asks, confused.

"Well, I don't know Red. What _is _there for one to do at a gym?" I say sarcastically.

"Fight the leader of course!"

"Exactly. So, isn't that what he's doing?" I say.

"Oh… Well, does it look like he's winning?" Red questions.

"Well, probably. Look at his Charmander; it's not a Charmander anymore. It's evolved since the last time I've battled it."

"And there goes Onix! It seems like the challenger has beaten Brock, and earned himself a Boulder Badge!" The announcer… well, announces. And I'm quite amazed. Charmeleon's a fire type, and Onix is a rock type. A rock type that knows ground moves.

"Well, that answers that question. Seems like I can't lose now; it'd give Green another thing to brag about." Red says.

"You shouldn't want to lose either way; if you lose now, there's no way you'll be able to defeat the others who're going after the Pokémon League championship. They'll be trainers much stronger than him." I explain.

"Well… I wasn't planning on losing either way! Why would you think I was?" Red asks, hurt. I think he really thinks I thought he wasn't taking this seriously.

"I wasn't saying that you didn't want to win; I was just saying that you shouldn't have Green winning be the main reason for you wanting to win." I say.

"B-Block Preliminaries will begin shortly." A woman announces.

"Gah! That's me!" Red shouts as he's running towards the registration desk. I guess he's already registered himself.

"My name's Red. I'm number 13." Hm, my favorite number.

"Alright then, please, step this way." The woman asks of him. He follows her, and she leads him to the entrance of the arena. He steps through onto the platform, and so does the person on the other end.

"So, you're my first opponent? Hahaha! You've got to be kidding me! A child? This will be too easy!" The man says, laughing. You'd better not underestimate Red.

Red easily defeats his first opponent; his only Pokémon were a Tentacool (Hate them; always bother me while surfing) and a Zubat (Seriously? He had to choose the two most annoying Pokémon?) The second challenger wasn't as easy; she had a Vulpix and a Meowth. I start to get the feeling that it's not only Pokémon from this area that are being put into the competition. I know for certain that you can't catch a wild Vulpix around Pewter City. His third opponent actually has a Pokémon that resembles the types that Brock uses. He has a Graveler. Red's Poliwhirl is tired out from the first two fights, so he switches to Bulbasaur this time.

"Bulbasaur, Leech Seed!" A dozen or so seeds come flying from Bulbasaur's back, and they all land on Graveler. They immediately start growing until they're covering Graveler's entire body, and then start sucking the life out of it.

"Graveler, use Rollout!" Graveler begins spinning around and starts rolling everywhere. Because of the friction between Graveler and the ground, the vines from the leech seed begin tearing apart and falling off.

"Bulbasaur, try it again!" And so Bulbasaur did. But, since Graveler was still rolling, it missed completely. Way to go, Red.

Red was at a loss, so while he was trying to think of his next move the Graveler slammed into Bulbasaur, knocking him back several feet.

"Bulbasaur! Get up and use Razor Leaf!" Red shouted.

One thing I've never understood, is that how can Razor Leaf do any damage? They're _just leaves._ Even though it's grass and the opponent's rock, it shouldn't do any damage. And even though the name has "Razor" in it, how can a leaf be "Razor" sharp? Doesn't matter, anyways. The Razor Leaf had the desired effect and made multiple cuts (How can leaf cut rock?) on Graveler's body. This slowed it down, but knowing rollout, it doesn't stop until the Pokémon either: Faints or misses.

Graveler seemed to be getting tired at this point, so he started to slow down even more. Red's main tactic for this fight is to have Bulbasaur avoid being hit, and to tire out Graveler. Obviously, it's been working.

"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!" Bulbasaur shot out the same two vines from before, and because Graveler had slowed down immensely, was able to keep it in place.

"Now, lift it up!" Red commands. Amazingly, Bulbasaur has enough strength to lift Graveler up into the air and slam it back into the ground. I'd guess that this would have the effect of ground or fighting, both of which are also super effective against rock. After that move, Graveler's down and out.

"Once again, the challenger manages to pull off an amazing victory!" The announcer says.

"And now, for the semi-finals!" Red's next opponent was one with only one Pokémon, just like this last. This time, it's a Marowak.

One thing about Marowak that always confused me, was its mask. I've always read up on Marowak and Cubone and tried to find out the true story behind him, but I never could. The only conclusion I ever found was that it was wearing the skull of its dead mother, and that's it. That's what the Pokédex says, so that much is true. The other part I found out is that Cubone is a baby Kangaskhan that lost its mother. Not sure if that's right. However, it does make me think about the Kangaskhan Red and I encountered earlier. It made me think about how she was protecting her baby, and if we weren't there, what might've happened… I think about how easily that baby might've lost its mother. It gives me a whole new meaning to the existence of Cubone. And while thinking of this, Red has won his next match, earning him a match with Brock.

"Did you see that, Philippe?" Red says, excitedly.

"Yeah… I did…" I say, still thinking of the Kangaskhan.

"Philippe, you don't sound so good. Are you alright?" Red asks, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I just had something on my mind." I answer.

"Oh, well, if you need to talk to me, I'm right here. They have a break between now and the final match." He tells me.

"No, I said I'm fine, and I am." I assure him.

"Well, all right… Anyways, what do you wanna do for the next hour?" He asks.

"There's not much we _can _do, considering we have to be back here within the next hour. So, where can we go that we'll be sure that we'll make it back on time?" I ask back.

"How about we go check the Pokémon Center? Maybe it's opened back up by now?"

"Yeah, you might be right on that one." I respond.

We both head in the direction of the Pokémon Center, and guess who we bump into on the way there? That's right; Green.

"So, how are you two doing?" He asks with a grin on his face.

"Oh, just shut it. We saw you win; you don't need to brag." Red immediately says.

"So, you saw how my Charmander's evolved?" He continues, still wearing the grin.

"Yes Green, we have. And before you can ask, because I know you will, no, I will not battle with you again. Because if you haven't noticed, the Pokémon Center was closed earlier and I wasn't able to heal Pikachu. And I'm going to have to say no for Red, because he has to keep his Pokémon healthy for his upcoming battle with Brock." I glare at Red towards the end, making sure he knows I know what his intentions were going to be. He begins to blush, which confirms my assumption.

"A quick battle wouldn't hurt though, now would it?" Green continues. Before, I could tolerate Green, but now he's beginning to get on my nerves.

"Green, please. I've said no, and I mean no. Can't you just leave it at that?" I plead.

"Fine then! Only a weakling would back down from a challenge anyways…" He mumbles as he begins to walk away.

"Hey, wait a min-" Red starts, but then quickly stops as I send him another glare.

"Just let him be, Red. I won't let you lose a match you might've won just because your pride got the better of you. Your Pokémon need to be in tip top shape when you go up against Brock, and we still don't know if the Center's open or not!" I explain.

"Fine…" He grumbles.

We continue walking, and when we make it to the Center we find out that it's still closed. That means I still can't get Pikachu healed, and that Red can't get his Pokémon healed either. They're both things that are causing me worry. Red's Pokémon because he has a battle coming up in less than an hour, and me because I'm worried about Pikachu, my first and only Pokémon.

Another thing that's concerning me is, how is Red going to be able to beat Brock now? I know that he used Pikachu to beat him before, because all of his other Pokémon were too weak to battle, but what now? He has to use them, and I have Pikachu.

"Hey, Red?" I call.

"Yeah?" He replies.

"Could… I see your Pokémon for a little bit?" I ask.

"Sure. What for, though?" He questions.

"I just wanted to talk with them a bit… it might sound strange, but aren't I always?" I joke.

"Ahaha! That you are Philippe, that you are. And sure." He sends out both Poliwhirl and Bulbasaur, and leaves me with them.

"I'll be checking out what really happened to the Pokémon Center; just call me if you need me." He says over his shoulder as he walks away.

I get right to the point with his Pokémon, and start talking.

"Ah… I know this might be a bit strange, me being new to you guys and all, but… Red really needs to win this battle. I know that you're all worn out from your previous fights, but… could you please, please do this, if not for me, for Red? I might've cost him his chance at winning by taking Pikachu from him, so if he _does _lose… I'll feel as if it's all my fault." My eyes were tearing up towards the end. Wow. I seem to be crying a lot lately. I used to _never _do that back home.

I'm not sure if they could understand me or not, but after I was done speaking they both started looking at me, and both came up to comfort me. Bulbasaur stroked my cheek with his vines (Which weren't as rough as I thought they'd be) and Poliwhirl just stood next to me. I felt as if I were the safest I've ever felt in my life, with the Pokémon around me.

* * *

"Hey… sorry for waking you, as well as my Pokémon, but I kind of need all of you for the match. It begins in ten minutes." Red says after having woken me up.

"No, I'm sorry… I guess I just kinda dozed off." I responded, sleepily.

"That's all right. You must've not completely recovered from yesterday's events. Tell you what; we can have a rest after the battle. Officer Jenny said that the Center should be open by then." Red suggests.

"That sounds… nice. Thanks." I reply.

"Yeah. Now, let's start heading over to the gym."

I slowly get up, and after a minute or two I'm much better. It only takes us five minutes to get to the gym, but that's pushing it. We arrive as soon as they're ready to announce the match, and Red has to run to make it in time. I slowly make my way to the audience and sit down.

"Now, for the final match! The competitor, Red, versus the leader, Brock!" The match is announced.

"I will be using one Pokémon; you can use however many you like, as long as it's under the limit of six." Brock says.

"Alright. Go, Poliwhirl!" And out comes Poliwhirl.

"And I will be using… Onix!" Now, I wonder how such a large Pokémon can fit in such a small pokéball.

"Poliwhirl, use Water Gun!" A jet of water shoots from Poliwhirl's swirl, and hits Onix in the face. It dazes him for a second, but he soon shakes it off.

"Onix, Constriction!" Onix dashes towards Poliwhirl and begins to wrap itself around. The more times it wraps itself around, the tighter the squeeze becomes, almost to the point where I think Poliwhirl's going to shoot into the air from the pressure. I wonder why they made Constrict so weak in the game, when it really does a lot of damage.

Red suddenly gets an idea and shouts: "Poliwhirl! Aim a Water Gun towards the ground!" When Poliwhirl does this, his body shoots straight into the air when the water makes contact with the ground, and once he's in the air Poliwhirl aims it at Onix. Wow. How'd you think of that one, Red? Now all he has to worry about is how to get Poliwhirl safely to the ground.

"Onix, position yourself directly under Poliwhirl." Brock commands.

Onix moves according to Brock's commands, and once he's there directs the horn on his head to point towards Poliwhirl. I cringe at the thought of Poliwhirl landing on it.

"Poliwhirl, less water, and move to the left!" Poliwhirl angles the water gun slightly to the right, and lowers the pressure. He slowly starts to come down, and because of the angling, avoids Onix's head.

"Onix, headbutt." Brock says.

Onix starts to race towards Poliwhirl as he's coming down, and tries to launch him back into the air before he lands. Poliwhirl acts on his own, and instead of trying to dodge the headbutt, aims the water directly at Onix. Like before, it's a direct hit, but this time it seems to do more damage. Also like before, it dazes Onix, and stops him in his tracks for a bit. While Onix is dazed, Poliwhirl lands.

"Onix, snap out of it, and use Rock Throw."

Due to the immense amount of boulders on the field (This was a special arena designed for gym leader battles), Onix didn't have any trouble finding a decent sized rock, launching it into the air, and then using its tail to hurl it towards Poliwhirl. The rock hit Poliwhirl in the chest (Or, where it'd be on a human), and knocked him out then and there.

"Poliwhirl!" Red shouts, concerned.

"And Poliwhirl is out!" The announcer says.

"Poliwhirl, return!" Red says as he calls back Poliwhirl "You did great…"

"Alright, go, Bulbasaur!" Red says.

"Onix, Constrict." And Onix wraps itself around Bulbasaur like it did with Poliwhirl.

"Not this again… Bulbasaur, use Sleep Powder!" Spores shoot out from Bulbasaur's back, and because of the force being put on Bulbasaur from the squeezing, the spores shoot high enough that they're able to completely cover Onix from head to… tail. Immediately after, Onix starts to sway back and forth and loosens his grip.

"Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!" The leaves shoot out and make scratches on Onix, but other than that, they don't have much of an effect. Onix becomes drowsier, so Red still has a chance to win.

"Gah! This isn't working… Use Vine Whip!" The whips, just like the leaves, didn't have much of an impact. When will Red remember that Bulbasaur has an attack that can actually do damage? Although, I'm not quite sure it'd be able to work indoors.

"_Nothing's_ working! Think… What moves does Bulbasaur know? I've used all but… aha!" Red finally remembered.

"Bulbasaur, Solarbeam!" It took a while to fully charge, but Red's lucky. Since Onix was hit with the sleep powder, he fell asleep and gave Bulbasaur more than enough time to do so.

"Fire!" Red yells. The solarbeam launched and did massive damage. It hit, and just like that Onix was knocked out.

"Onix is defeated! The winner is Bulbasaur! The match goes to Trainer Red!" The audience's reaction was a mixed one. Some cheered, some booed, and others were indifferent. I guess it's because the two winners of today were both children, and some can't believe that Brock could lose to them.

"Well, that was unexpected. I'm shocked that a Pokémon that young could use such a powerful attack. What's your name, boy?" Brock asks.

"Well, my name's Red! And the boy over there's Philippe!" Red says enthusiastically. He waves at me to come over, and I blush. I never do well in front of crowds.

Once I make it over to the stage, he puts his arm around me.

"This is my best friend, Philippe!" And I immediately think "Friendzoned."

"I see. Well, Red. You managed to defeat me, so I do believe that this belongs to you." He sticks his hand out, and in his palm is a Boulder Badge. Red takes it and studies the badge.

"So, this is what a badge looks like… What does it do, exactly?" Red asks.

"Well, this proves that you've defeated me. That's all it does, really. Once you collect eight, you show them to the guard at the Pokémon League and they'll let you in." Brock explains.

"So, nothing special?" Red continues.

"In your mindset, no, nothing special."

"Oh. Well, it's still cool, I guess." Red says.

"Now, if you were to take my advice, I'd suggest you head over to Cerulean City for your next badge. My good friend's the leader there." Brock suggests.

"Alright, we'll do that. Thanks!" Red exclaims.

We head out of the gym, and I immediately find the closest rock and sit down. I don't know why, but I'm feeling even more tired than before. I'm usually tired all the time, but not this much.

"Philippe, are you alright?" Red asks.

"Yeah… I guess I'm more exhausted than I thought. I think I'll take your offer and go rest when we get to the Pokémon Center…" I say, half conscious that I'm even speaking.

"I think that'd be best. Come on, I'll help you." Red puts his arm around me for support and helps me walk. I think I passed out sometime along the trip, but I'm not sure. I can't remember.


	8. Enraged Gyarados

Author's Note:

Well, this was the quickest upload I've done. I just hope that it's because I'm enthusiastic (I seem to be using that word a lot) about writing, and not because I'm trying to rush. Anyways, like I've said before, I'd appreciate reviews about my writing style and about any grammatical errors that I've made.

Disclaimer:

Nintendo and Game Freak own Pokémon, not me.

* * *

So, I bet you're wondering what happened with Red and I, huh? Well, nothing much _did _happen. After I passed out (Which later on he told me I had), he carried me the rest of the way to the Center. I was lucky that it had re-opened during Red's battle with Brock. Nurse Joy helped him bring me to our room, and he just laid me down on the bed. While I was asleep, he went and got all of our Pokémon healed. Also while I was asleep, I met up with Mew again. She only needed me for a few minutes, just to tell me that nothing was majorly wrong and that my body just wasn't used to the "stress" yet. I don't know what's stressful about this, though. Anyways, after I woke up, Red asked if I was alright, which I was. I think I just needed some more sleep. We checked out afterwards and started towards Cerulean City. Even though Brock said that it was a short distance, which, in comparison to other cities, it was, it was still several days away.

* * *

"So, how's Pikachu treating you, Philippe?" Red asks me.

"Well, I think I've gotten the hang of battling. It's still fairly new, so I think I'll need a lot more practice until I'm as good as you." I respond.

"Awww, thanks for the compliment!"

"No problem. But it _is _true."

"Well, you did beat Green, which I wasn't able to do." Red states. He and Green had fought sometime during our trip to Cerulean, and Red had lost. He was so angry he wouldn't speak to me for most of the remainder of the day.

"Well, we both have different types, right? It might've just been because of that." I explain.

"That isn't really helping. Considering I have Poliwhirl, who should've easily been able to beat Charmeleon." I guess what I said didn't really help with his ego.

"Well, that aside, it was still a close battle!" I quickly say.

"I guess so… How much long do you think it'll take to get to Cerulean City anyways?" He asks out of the blue.

"Well, well, well. _Now _who's being impatient?" I tease.

"Shut up. And I'm being serious; we've been walking for days and I'm starting to miss the bed at the Center." He complains.

"Well, so am I, but you don't see me-" Mid-way through my sentence, we hear a crash coming from the distance. We seem to be hearing a lot of those.

"What was that?" Red asks, alarmed.

"Well, if our previous encounters with large noises are to tell us anything, I think it's probably another Pokémon."

"Then let's go check it out!" He says as he's running towards the noise. Doesn't he know that you're supposed to be cautious towards these kinds of things?

"W-wait for me!" I yell as I chase after him.

When we both get to the top of the hill, we see a girl battling a Gyarados. I'm guessing it's time we meet Misty.

"Wow! It's huge!" Red exclaims.

"Yeah; what do you think it is?" I ask, remembering that I have to seem clueless. I don't know why, but I have a feeling that I shouldn't show that I know a lot about Pokémon. He _does _think that I'm a "Newbie Trainer" after all.

"I don't know, but I'm about to go find out!" He says, this time as he's running downthe hill, towards the Gyarados.

"Red, don't you think it'd be best to check out the situation before you rush into it?" I yell after him.

"If I did that it'd be too late!" He yells back.

The Gyarados seems to be winning the battle between it and Misty's Staryu, so Red quickens his pace. We're at the bottom of the hill in no time, and Red calls out to Misty.

"What is that thing?" He asks.

"Who are you? And what are you doing this close? Get out of the way!" She yells at both of us. Right after, Gyarados turns over and slams its tail a few feet away from us.

"What did I tell you? Get out!" She yells as she's trying to battle at the same time.

"But, I can help! Bulbasaur, come out!" He calls out Bulbasaur, and commands it to attack. Bulbasaur uses Leech Seed and the vines grow quicker than normal, probably due to all the water on Gyarados's body.

"See?" Red says.

"What's that going to do?" Misty asks back.

"It's gonna suck the life right out of that thing!" He says enthusiastically.

"But not quick enough, Red!" I yell, intruding on their conversation.

"He's right! Even if it'd be able to do a significant amount of damage, it won't happen soon enough! Staryu, use Water Gun!" Staryu shoots a burst of water towards Gyarados, but nothing happens. I wonder what would've happened if Red had never come across Misty. She probably would've lost. Ironic. Losing against your own Pokémon.

Gyarados seems to only get angrier, and shoots its own burst of water towards Bulbasaur. This one seems to be much larger and have much more force to it, so I'm gonna guess that it's Hydro Pump.

"That's a Hydro Pump! Gyarados' strongest attack!" Misty shouts. Yep.

The blast hits Bulbasaur and knocks him back several feet, but other than that Bulbasaur seems to be fine.

"W-what? It did nothing!" Misty shouts, confused.

"Yeah! Bulbasaur's a grass type, so water has no effect on it!" He says.

"Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf!" Red commands. Leaves come out and head for Gyarados. Unlike the rock Pokémon he fought earlier, it actually looks as if Gyarados feels the leaves.

"Boy, I don't think that we're going to make it at this rate! Don't you have any Pokémon of your own?" Misty asks, looking at me.

"Y-yeah, but I only just started a few days ago! I don't think I'd be much help!" I quickly respond.

"It doesn't matter! Any help is more than what we're at right now!" She says. I guess she's right.

"Fine! G-go, Pikachu!" I shout as I throw my pokéball.

"And you couldn't have thought to send it out earlier? Pikachu's an electric type, Gyarados is a water type. Even if he's at his lowest level, it'd still be of help!" Misty shouts.

"A-alright! Pikachu, use Thunder Wave!" Normally, I don't use that many status-inflicting moves. I usually make my Pokémon learn all four attack moves, but I think I should start thinking about strategies with status altering moves now.

The Thunder Wave seems to have an effect, and Gyarados stops moving. Every once in a while he shakes, making me believe that he's paralyzed.

"See? That was help! Now, attack!" Misty tells me.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu's cheeks start to get static jumping from one to the other, and eventually there's so much electricity in the air I can even feel it. After a moment or two, Pikachu launches the built up electric energy at Gyarados. In the anime, when a Pokémon (or human) gets hit by an electric attack, they show the character as black and yellow with the bones showing. It's different here (Obviously). Instead, all that's visible is the Pokémon's pain and the electric currents on the outside of the body. In this case, we can also see all the Magikarp in the lake that Gyarados is in float to the surface. I feel bad at this point, but what can I do?

"Alright! Now's our chance, Philippe!" Red shouts as he throws a pokéball towards the stunned Gyarados. Gyarados gets sucked into the ball (I still don't know how it can fit), and shakes a few times until becoming still. I can't wait to see the look on Red's face when he finds out that it wasn't a wild Pokémon, but Misty's.

"Now that makes three! Did you see me Philippe?" Red asks. I think he's forgotten about Nidorino; he's never used it since he's captured it. I'm thinking he might've put it in the storage system during one of our visits at the Pokémon Center.

"Yes, Red. I saw it." I say, shaking my head a little. Is he going to be like this every time?

"Thanks a lot for helping. Sorry I yelled at you. I just didn't know that you two were trainers." Misty apologizes.

"That's ok. So, what were you doing out here anyways? And… what was _it _doing out here? I've never seen anything so big in my life!" Red says.

"Well, that's Gyarados, a water Pokémon. Normally you can only find its earlier stage, Magikarp, in this area."

"Yeah; from what I've read, they're not supposed to be found in the wild. Anywhere, for that matter." I say. Back in Pewter City, before we left, I bought some books on the Pokémon around the area. What? I can't be completely clueless.

"Then, what was it doing here? Do you think it belongs to someone?" Red asks.

"Yes, it does belong to someone… It belongs to me." Misty says, her tone immediately darkening.

"Oh… well, sorry about that… oh!" Red says, suddenly remembering something.

"I've completely forgotten to ask for your name!" Red says.

"This isn't the only time that's happened, Red." I say.

"Well, I'm sorry! Sometimes I just get too involved in things that I forget stuff!" Red says back to me.

"Don't worry. My name's Misty." She says, still with a darkened toned.

"Alright, Misty. My name's Red. Now, about Gyarados… I'm still wondering. What was it doing, battling you?" Red asks.

"Well, everything was fine until a little while ago. I was training it, as usual, when suddenly a group of men in a black uniform came up and stole it! I was looking for it up until today, when I finally found it. When I did… it wasn't its normal self. It was mad, like you saw it a little while ago. I don't know what could've happened to it." Misty explains.

"Wait… did you say, 'men in a black uniform?'" Red asks.

"Yes, I did. Why? Have you seen them?" Misty asks, interested.

"Yeah! We saw them not that long ago in the forest right around Pallet Town! They were trying to steal a pink Pokémon there too!" Red says. Red, don't you know that it's not safe to give out your home's location to random strangers?

"So Gyarados wasn't the only one they were trying to steal… Where do you think they'd be now?" Misty asks.

"Well, I don't know! Philippe, do you have any ideas?" Red asks.

"I don't know either… maybe we should ask the Professor? Green was there when they were first after the pink Pokémon, so he probably told Oak about it. Maybe he knows more about it than we do?" I suggest.

"Yeah! You're probably right; he seems to know everything!" Red replies.

* * *

We make our way over to the Pokémon Center in Cerulean City (It seems that we weren't that far from the city outskirts when we ran into Misty) and immediately go to the phone. We dial Professor Oak and he seems surprised that we made it this far in such a short amount of time.

"So, you two are already at Cerulean City? I would think that you'd still be in Pewter!" Oak laughs.

"Well, we did have a few minor setbacks, but we made it here all right." Red responds.

"How's the Pokédex coming along?" Oak asks.

"I got another entry today! Look!" Red says as he holds out the Pokédex for Professor Oak to see.

"What's that?" Misty asks.

"Oh, right. You don't know what it is. It's a Pokédex. It's kind of an encyclopedia for Pokémon. It holds all sorts of information about Pokémon in it. Once you record it, that is."

"Well, look at that! A Gyarados! I never thought you'd be able to find one in the wild over there!" Professor Oak exclaims.

"Ah, about that… I have a question for you, Professor."

"Well, what is it?" Oak responds.

"It's about the men in black we met outside Pallet Town. Do you know anything else about them? Misty here says that they stole her Gyarados earlier and we were wondering where they'd be now." Red explains.

"Don't tell me you want to go after them? It sounds to me that if they're stealing Pokémon then they must be criminals!" Oak says, concerned.

"And that's exactly why I want to find them! If they're criminals they have to be stopped!"

"Heh, I guess I'm not changing your mind then… Philippe, have you been doing what I've asked of you?" Oak asks me.

"Yeah, I've been trying to." I respond.

"Well, you're going to have to do so even more with this little side quest." Oak says.

"Yeah, I know I will." I tell him.

"Alright. Well, Red. I don't know where they'd be. I guess you're just going to have to make a guess yourself and hope it's right." Oak answers. With that, he signs off.

"So, we're no closer than we were before. Huh." Red says as he slides onto a couch.

"Well, at least the Professor's confirmed that they're the bad guys." I say, sitting next to him.

"Anyone could have told you that. It should be obvious." Misty says.

"Yeah… Have any ideas as to where they could be?" Red asks me.

"Hm… let me think…" I tell him. I know that if I think hard enough I should remember where they should be. Let's see… They took Gyarados because they wanted to make it much stronger than it was, so they'd need something to do so… Have we forgotten to go anywhere between the beginning and Cerulean? Well, there isn't much to do as of yet… But… Aha!

"I don't know… call it a hunch, but… could we try out Mount Moon?" I suggest.

"What? Mt. Moon? But… why would they be there?" Misty asks.

"Where's Mt. Moon? And what's so special about it that they'd go there?" Red asks as well.

"Like I said, I don't really know. I just have a feeling that they might be there. I've read up on Clefairy gaining power from the Moon and the Moon Stones found there. I know that Gyarados isn't a Clefairy, but… It's just a hunch. I'm probably wrong, but we have no other leads, right?" I explain.

"Alright. You're right on one thing; we _don't _have any other leads. So, thank you for your assistance. I should be going now." Misty thanks us, and starts to head out the door.

"W-wait! What about us? We're going with you too!" Red shouts after her.

"No. You two might've been strong enough to take on Gyarados, but that's only because you had the type advantage! There's no way two kids like you could take on an entire group of bad guys!" Misty says angrily.

"Well, there's no way you'd be able to take them on yourself! It'd be safer if all of us went." Red says back, equally as angry.

"…Fine! But if you two get hurt, don't blame me!" Misty says, giving in.

"Alright! This'll help me fill up the Pokédex, and it'll help you catch more Pokémon, Philippe!" Red says, enthusiastically. He seems to be excited about many things.

"Well, if you _are _a new trainer like you said, then Mt. Moon would be a perfect training spot for you. Since it's so close to Cerulean City, it has a lot of water Pokémon. The battles in there wouldn't give you much experience in strategies… but it'd help in Pikachu gaining experience." Misty explains.

"And, Philippe. You should let Pikachu out more often! I know my Pokémon hate being cramped up in their pokéballs all day." Red says.

"But… I know that I wouldn't like to be stuck in there all day; I just don't want Pikachu getting hurt!" I say.

"Philippe, Pokémon are bound to get hurt. It's in their blood! Pikachu's going to get much more wounded from battles than he is from anything that could happen while he's just walking with you. And it's good exercise!"

"Yeah… you're right, Red. Alright. Pikachu, come out!" Pikachu pops out of his pokéball, and looks around expectantly. He looks battle-ready, so I think that Pikachu thinks that he only comes out when it's time to battle.

"Pikachu, this isn't for a battle. It's just for a walk. Red says that I should let you out more often." I tell him.

Pikachu looks at me, confused for a moment, but then lowers his guard.

"That's better. It's not good to have a Pokémon that's so stiff!" Red tells me.

"So, now that everything's settled, I guess it's time to make our way towards Mt. Moon?" Misty suggests.

"Yeah! Let's go, Philippe! Misty!" Red says as he begins to run out of the Center.

"W-wait! Red! Don't you know where Mt. Moon is?" I shout after him. He immediately slows down.

"Oh…" He says, blushing.

"Well, lucky for you, I took a map before you started running without a clue as to where you were going. And you're lucky. It _is _in the direction you were originally headed for." I tell him.

"Then why did you stop me?" He shouts.

"Because there's a crossroad up ahead. Didn't want you taking the wrong path." I answer.

"Ah… thanks." He responds.

Misty's caught up by now, and when I tell her where we need to go, she seems to already know this. I guess it's because she's lived in this city all her life, so of course she knows her way around! All three of us start heading towards Mt. Moon. I wonder what we'll find there? Other than Team Rocket, of course.


	9. It's Just Unnatural

Author's Note:

So, because there's not much to say this time around, I'm just gonna say: Please read, enjoy if you like, and review.

Disclaimer:

I do not own, nor have ever owned, Pokémon or anything related to it. Only my copy of the games, movies, books, etc. Nintendo and Game Freak own the name.

* * *

"We're almost there!" Misty shouts.

We've been following her for most of the way. I rarely had to pull out the map once! I guess it's good when you have someone who knows the land by heart. Red and Misty have been chatting along the way, about Pokémon, of course. Typical Red stuff.

"That's a relief! It'd be a complete waste of time if we got there and they'd already disappeared!" Red shouts back.

"Red, we don't even know if they're going to be there." I remind him.

"Yes, but your hunches seem to be right most of the time." Red says.

"I haven't had many of those, though. How would you know if most of them would be right?" We haven't known each other for long, but he seems to think that we've known each other forever. It feels that way for me as well. So I guess I can't complain.

"Your gut tells you that they might be there, and my gut tells me to trust you. That's all there is to it." Red tells me.

"Guys, I think you should be a little quieter. Look!" Misty shout-whispers.

"What is it?" Red asks, lowering his voice.

"It's them! The people who stole my Gyarados!" Misty quickly tells him.

"They're the same people who tried to steal that Pokémon in the forest! You were right, Philippe!" Red says. I start to blush, just like I have multiple times these past couple of days.

"So, if they're here, then… they're probably after the Moon Stones you were talking about!" Misty tells us.

"But, why would they be after the Moon Stones? I thought that only Clefairy were able to utilize their power…" I say to myself.

"I don't know… but you _are _the one who came up with the idea that they might be here. You'll probably be able to think of _why _they're here!" Red says.

"Maybe… I'll have to think about it some more." I tell them. I hope I can continue to remember what's happened and what's going to happen.

"Look! They're moving! Should we follow them?" Misty asks.

"That's what we came here for, right? Let's go!" Red says, getting ready to follow them.

"Shhh! Not so loud! Remember, if you're too loud they could still hear you!" Misty warns him.

"And I think we should wait a while… just until we can be pretty sure that there's a safe enough distance between us and them." I suggest

"He's right. We don't want to bump into them. Mt. Moon's extremely dark without a light source." Misty says.

"But, what about Philippe's Pikachu?" Red suggests.

"I think that Pikachu would give off too much light, alerting them that we're there." I tell him.

"Couldn't you have Pikachu not use a full burst then?" Red asks.

"I don't know… if I were to try, it'd be safer if I did so out here."

"Then, do it!" Red says in a hurried voice. I guess he doesn't want to lose them.

"Alright. Pikachu, give off a spark, but not too large of one." I ask. Pikachu then begins to charge up its tail, but stops about midway to full. Full would be enough power for a fully charged thunderbolt.

"That's still a bit too bright… could Pikachu bring it down a bit?" Misty asks.

"Pikachu, could you?" I ask of him again. This time, Pikachu lowers the power even more, until it gives off only a dim glow.

"That's perfect." Misty commends.

We begin to head into the cave, and soon we realize that we've let Team Rocket have too much of a head start. We're now lost. Not hopelessly lost, however. There seems to be a trail inside the mountain, so we're hoping that it leads us in the right direction.

"Gah! How many Zubats can one cave hold?" Red exclaims

"I don't know, but by the looks of it… a lot." I tell him.

"Misty, didn't you say that Mt Moon was supposed to have a lot of _water_ Pokémon? All I've seen so far are Zubats!" Red continues to complain.

"So far. Have you seen any bodies of water yet? No. So don't complain. They're farther in, anyways." Misty explains.

"Phiiiliiiiiippe, couldn't you and Pikachu do something about these Zubats?" Red whines.

"Wouldn't that create too much electricity? And alert the men in black that we're here?" I ask.

"Well, we've seem to have lost sight of them, haven't we Philippe? So I think it'd be safe if you used it now. They're everywhere and it's really starting to annoy me!" Red continues.

"Fine. But only to scare them off. Pikachu, could you send some sparks towards the Zubats?" I ask. Pikachu obeys, and some of the electricity from its tail flies off towards the Zubats. This seems to have the desired effect, and the Zubat scramble. Not for long, however, because soon after they begin to come back, and in greater numbers. How is that possible? I used to always think that people overreacted when they said "Zubats. Zubats everywhere." about caves, but now I think they're right. They're the only thing we can see!

"Gah! It didn't work!" Red shouts.

"You don't say?" Misty shouts back.

"Pikachu, use thunder!" I scream, and Pikachu launches a full blast. Every single Zubat is hit, and they all either scramble (Again) or fall to the ground, paralyzed. Once again I feel bad, because this is the second time in one day that I've caused a mass paralysis of Pokémon. First the Magikarp, now the Zubat.

"Well, at least it got rid of the Zubat!" Red says sheepishly. Both Misty and I glare at him.

"Just hope that they didn't hear us." Misty says, angrily.

I can't stay mad at Red, however, and soon forget the entire incident. Misty, on the other hand, is still ticked off even half an hour later.

"Misty, Philippe, I'm tired." Red begins to whine.

"Now you see how I feel most of the time I spend chasing after you." I respond.

"Yes, but you're used to chasing after me. I'm not." He continues

"It'd be weird if you were used to chasing after yourself. Actually, it'd be weird if that were even _possible._" I tease.

"You know what I mean! Why can't we take a break?" He asks.

"Well, I'm getting tired too. Misty, can we?" I ask her.

"Fine. But only for a couple minutes. We don't want to become even further behind than we are now."

We all find a spot to sit. Misty by the body of water that we just came across, I on the ground in front of me, and Red on a rock a little ways across the room. And of course, with my luck (Even though it happened to Red, it's still probably mine that caused it), Red happens to choose a rock that actually isn't a rock at all, but a Pokémon. And that Pokémon just so happens to be a Rhyhorn (Not sure how he got a Rhyhorn confused for a rock. Not sure how any of us missed it, come to think of it).

"So, if it isn't the two from the forest? Oh? And it looks as if you've brought along another friend! And isn't she something." A man says as he comes out from behind the shadows. And here, ladies and gentlemen, is Rocket Grunt #1! Soon accompanied by his fellow grunts, of course.

"What of it?" Misty answers back.

"Well, I don't want to seem rude in front of a lady, but… you three aren't supposed to be here. Soooooooooooo… we'll have to ask you to leave." He says, having Rhyhorn move into attack position. Red has obviously moved away from it by this point.

"Red, I think either you or Misty should take care of this one." I tell them.

"Alright. Go, Bulbasaur!" Red sends out Bulbasaur, and immediately has him use razor leaf. I still don't know why he's obsessed with that attack.

"Rhyhorn, Earthquake!" Rhyhorn picks up one foot, and slams it back into the ground. I can feel the vibrations from where I'm standing, and immediately wonder; What possessed him to have him think that using _earthquake _in a _cave_ was a good idea? Now Red has to worry about both the battle _and _the falling stalactites

"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!" The vines attach themselves to Rhyhorn, but aren't strong enough so Rhyhorn's able to easily pull Bulbasaur back with him. Bulbasaur's dragged all over the place, gathering various scratches and injuries from the stray rocks. Not much damage, but it adds up.

"Bulbasaur, let go!" Red shouts. Bulbasaur lets go of Rhyhorn and it flung back. At least it isn't being dragged anymore.

"Now, use Razor Leaf again!" And like last time, not much happened.

"Rhyhorn, Rock Throw!" I have no idea how Rhyhorn's able to pick up a rock, what with him having four _feet _and all, but he manages to do so and throws them at Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur's dodging the rocks by moving left and right, as well as dodging the stalactites falling from the previous earthquake.

"Hmmm… Red, I have an idea. I'm not sure if it'd work, but it's better than nothing, right?" I tell him.

"Sure, what'cha got?" He asks while still battling.

"Since we're in a cave, there's no sunlight, right? Well, how about we try electric energy instead of solar energy to power Bulbasaur's Solarbeam?" I suggest.

"That might work, but it'd be electric instead of grass. Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf again!"

"It'd be more than what's being done right now!" I say.

"You're right. Go ahead!" He tells me.

"Alright, Pikachu. I want you to channel your energy into Bulbasaur, but not to attack. Just send him the energy in its dormant form. Alright?" I ask. Pikachu gives a little nod, and turns towards Bulbsaur. He begins charging electricity within his cheeks, and soon is directing it towards Bulbasaur.

"Bulbsaur, store the energy from Pikachu!" Red commands. Bulbsaur does just that, and soon the orb on its bulb begins to grow. Instead of being a sphere, this time it's an orb of electric energy, with little static waves jumping here and there.

"Bulbasaur, fire!" Bulbasaur attacks, just like it would a solarbeam, but this time the attack hits the horn on Rhyhorn's head (Due to Lightningrod). That's what was expected. What _wasn't _expected, however, is that the attack actually _did _something. Rhyhorn seems as if it's in pain, and soon enough collapses. Looks like Pokémon's different from the game. Not just a little bit, but a lot. _That's_to be expected, though.

"That… actually worked?" Misty said in surprise.

"I… can't believe it worked." Red said, equally in shock.

"Hahahahaha! You think this is over? Not by a long shot! And speaking of shots…" He takes out a needle and injects whatever's inside into Rhyhorn (How a needle can go through rock, I will never know). Not even a moment later, Rhyhorn begins to get up and change. Grow is a better word. The light of evolution envelopes him, and once he stops growing the glow ends. He's no longer a Rhyhorn, but a Rhydon.

"W-what? What did you do to that Pokémon?" Misty says, both in shock and in rage.

"What does it look like? I evolved it, of course!" The Rocket member says, still laughing.

"But… That's not natural!" Red shouts.

"And? What does it matter! A Pokémon's just a tool, and we use them as we see fit! Now, Rhydon… Kill them!" Whoa. Did he seriously say _kill _them? We're just kids!

"Is this what happened to Gyarados…?" Misty mumbles to herself.

"Gah! Bulbasaur, return!" Red has enough sense to return the tired Bulbasaur back to his ball, and sends in Poliwhirl to take his place.

"Poliwhirl, use Water Gun!" The water didn't do much to stop the rampaging Rhydon. He seems to be pumped up on whatever that injection was, and now can't control its actions. It won't stop until we stop it, or we're dead.

"Misty, we could really use your help now!" Red shouts to her.

"R-right! Go, Staryu!" Misty and Red have both their Pokémon use water gun at the same time, on the same place, and it has more effect than just a single burst. Rhydon stumbles a bit, but rights itself soon after and continues its charge.

"W-what now?" Red asks, his voice shaking.

"Well, if it worked on Rhyhorn, it should be able to work on Rhydon. Pikachu, use Thunder!" I command. Pikachu immediately begins charging up once again, and lets out a bolt of electricity. Since Rhydon's soaking wet from the water guns, the attack does more damage than usual. Although, since Rhydon's the evolved form of Rhyhorn and is much stronger, the shock doesn't knock it out. It only severely weakens it.

"Great thinking, Philippe! Now we almost have it!" Red says.

"Not quite! Rhydon, Rock Throw!" Rhydon picks up several decent-sized boulders, and hurls them in our direction. We manage to avoid most of them, but Misty's hit by a stray. Talk about horrible luck. With Misty out of the picture, it's just Red and me now.

"Red, what do we do now?" I ask.

"You're the one who comes up with all the answers! Think!" Red tells me.

"Gah! We're not going to be able to win at this rate, so we have to escape somehow! Think, Philippe, think!" I say to myself. Let's see… we won't be able to run from them, no, Rhydon's too fast for that. We're going to have to separate ourselves from them… Aha! The stalactites! If enough fall, then the ceiling will become weak enough that it'll collapse in!

"Red! Try to get Rhydon to use earthquake again!" I tell him.

"Not sure how'd that help _us, _but ok! Poliwhirl, use Water Gun again!" And the cycle begins again. Poliwhirl using water gun, Rhydon charging at Poliwhirl, and so on and so forth. Even though Rhydon isn't using earthquake, the vibrations from all his rampaging seem to be disturbing the stalactites a bit, so in a way it's what I wanted to happen.

Eventually, the ground's shaken up enough that a few stalactites begin to fall. More than when Rhyhorn used earthquake, anyways.

"That's it Red! Keep it up!" I encourage him.

"Poliwhirl, another Water Gun! This time aim it towards the ceiling!" I think Red's finally caught onto what I've thought up. The water gun hits the ceiling, as well as some stalactites, and they all fall at the same time. The ceiling seems to be weak enough that now small pebbles begin to fall, then larger rocks, and eventually we all feel the cave collapsing in on itself.

"What's happening?" The Rocket member says to himself, as well as all other members. No one seems to notice that the entire room's collapsing, so they just stand there like idiots.

"Red, we have to get out of here!" I shout to him. "Help me with Misty!" We both take one half of her weight, and lift her up. We then proceed to run as fast as two boys carrying a grown woman (If we can even call her that) can, and hope we make it out in time.

* * *

We make it out safely and hear a loud boom, confirming that the cave has indeed collapsed. We look back, and the rocks have made an air tight seal, blocking the passage. We're safe; for now, at least.

"Phew… I can't believe we just did that! Philippe, you're amazing!" Red says. I'm starting not to blush when he says things like that, but I can't help but feel warm inside.

"It was nothing, really." I tell him.

"Nothing? You figured out how to win against Rhyhorn _and _Rhydon, _and _you figured out how to get out of there!" Only because I already knew what was going to happen, Red. Otherwise, we probably would've died the first day you met me.

We hear Misty groan a little, and that catches our attention. We had laid her on the ground earlier, and were waiting for her to regain consciousness.

"Misty, are you alright?" I ask her.

"W…what happened?" She says, still a bit out of it.

"Well, Rhydon threw a huge boulder at you, and it knocked you out." Red said. Way to be blunt.

"So, what happened after that?" She asks.

"Well, Philippe and I continued battling the Rhydon, and won!" He exclaims with excitement.

"Well, I wouldn't say that we _won. _More like, 'managed to not get ourselves killed,' would be a better term for what happened.

"So… I'm guessing you didn't find anything?" She asks, sounding disappointed.

"Well, I wouldn't say we got _nothing." _Red says as he pulls something from his pocket.

"I-is that what I think it is?" Misty says, incredulously. I couldn't believe it either. When did he have the time to find it, let alone retrieve it? We were both carrying Misty the entire way!

"Yeah, it's a Moon Stone! How I know it is, I don't know, but I just do." Red says.

"You're right about one thing; that _is _a Moon Stone!" Misty exclaims.

"Where'd you find it, Red?" I ask.

"Well, when we were carrying Misty out, I found a stone that looked different from the rest, so I picked it up. When I did, I felt the power that's inside, and knew then that it was what we were looking for!" He explains.

"Red, _you _never cease to amaze _me._" I tell him. Misty looks at me strangely for a second, then shrugs it off.

"Aw, thanks! Anyways, what do you think we should do with this?" Red asks.

"I don't know… How about we go back to my place and think it over? Also, I'm not sure if you're tired, but I sure am." Misty suggests.

"Sure! We're not gonna get anywhere all tired out and hungry like this!" Red exclaims. He's right. With all of the excitement that's gone on today, I've totally forgotten that I haven't eaten since breakfast. And it's already getting dark out!

"Lead the way, Misty!"


	10. Bonding, Cascade Badge

Author's Note:

As you'll easily be able to see later in the chapter, I've decided to write in a manner that I'm not used to. You'll be able to tell what it is immediately, so I'd like to ask for people to read it carefully and tell me how they think I did on it. I don't want to tell you exactly what part it is, because that'll give it away. Anyways, this is the 10th chapter, and I'm amazed that I've actually gotten this far. Even though it isn't much, to me it feels like I've accomplished something.

Disclaimer:

I don't own Pokémon, or anything related to it. Nintendo and Game Freak have that honor.

* * *

"This…This is where you live?" Red asks, amazed.

Misty had led us to her house, and I have to say… it's more of a mansion than a house. I've never seen anything so large in my life! Well, personally. I've seen pictures, but they're nothing compared to the real thing. The building has several floors, too many for me to count, anyways, a gigantic garden out front, a _porch _(Yes, it's amazing. I've never seen one of these before.), and… there's just too much to take in at once.

"Yeah; it isn't too much, is it?" responds.

"I've never seen anything like it in my life!" Red exclaims.

"Neither have I…" I mumble to myself. I don't like expressing my opinion that much, ok? At least, not to other people.

"Well, that's not surprising. Considering where you're from, there probably aren't many, right?" Misty asks.

"There isn't _any _where I'm from!" Red continues, still amazed.

"Well, hopefully you'll get used to it. Because I'm not sure how long we're going to be staying here for." Misty says. I don't want to stay here any longer than necessary. I know how much we have to do, and I want to get a head start. It's probably going to take a lot longer with Red having to carry me along with him.

We continue up the walkway and reach the front door of the mansion. Misty rings the bell and almost immediately several maids come rushing out to greet her.

"Lady Misty, you're home!" One greets her.

"My, my, my… You're filthy, Lady Misty!" Another exclaims in shock.

"Yes, yes. I know I'm filthy. Ladies, before we get into detail on that, I'd like you to meet two new friends of mine." Misty says as she points towards us.

"Hi, my name's Red! And this is Philippe!" Red says as he introduces us both.

"Hello, Sir Red. Hello, Sir Philippe." All the maids greet us at the same time. I have a feeling that there's many more inside.

"So, you two get washed up, while I prepare everything. Is that alright?" Misty asks.

"Yeah, of course. Let's go, Philippe." Red says, as he starts to enter the building.

"Uh… Red?" I ask.

"Yeah, Philippe?" Red responds.

"Do you have any idea where you're going?" I ask for what feels like the hundredth time.

"Oh… Misty, where should we go?" Red asks her directly.

"Susan, show the boys where to go, would you?" Misty says as she directs one of her maids towards us.

"Yes, of course, Lady Misty." She responds.

We follow the maid for what feels like an eternity. The mansion's so large that I'd probably get lost and never find my way out if it wasn't for our guide. I'd probably get lost making it back to the entrance without someone leading me. Eventually we make it to our guestroom, and the maid lets us be.

"So, Philippe. What do you think about everything's that's gone on so far?" Red asks me out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" I ask back.

"Well, earlier you mentioned that your life was never as exciting as this. It must be a real change, right? So, how does it feel?" He explains.

"Well… I've never felt anything like it before. The thrill of finally being on my own. Well, not completely, of course. I do have you. But… I like it." I answer.

"That's good. For me… It doesn't feel like it's enough. It's like… I want more, but I don't know exactly _what _it is that I want. I just know that this isn't enough to satisfy my need for adventure." He tells me.

We both sit on the bed for a while and continue to make small talk. Stuff like how his Pokémon are doing, how my Pikachu's doing. He also keeps complimenting me on how I was so quick to think of everything inside the cave. I don't handle compliments that well, so I blush as soon as he reaches the topic.

"But, Philippe! It's true! I don't care how many times you say that it's just because you _had _to, or else we would've been in serious trouble. I think it's just because you're smart! If it were up to me… I never would've been able to think of the plans you had. I hate to admit it… but Green's right. I'm too rash and too careless. I act before I think. But… isn't accepting the fact that you have a problem the first step to overcoming that problem?" Red says.

"Yes, it is Red. I don't think you're too careless. I think you're just… excited. That's all. This adventure's new to you, right? It makes sense that you'd be a bit careless at the beginning; who wouldn't be?" I tell him.

"You aren't. This is new for both of us, and you're still able to think rationally in times of danger!" He exclaims.

"Well, I think that's just because… I don't want to see anyone get hurt. Especially because of me. It's like I said before; I think the only reason why I was able to is because I knew that if I didn't, people would get hurt. And I don't like people getting hurt." I explain to him.

"No one should like to see people get hurt, Philippe. If someone did… they'd be the worst person I could think of. Anyways, it's been a while since we got here, and we haven't even cleaned up yet!" He says, changing the subject.

"Yeah. How about you take the bathroom first, and I go in after? I have some stuff that I'd like to sort out before I go in, alright?" I suggest.

"Sure. I'll tell you once I'm done." He says as he starts towards the bathroom.

"Uh… Red? Don't forget to call for a maid to show you where the bathroom is. I don't want you getting lost." Now it's his turn to blush. He gives me a nod and continues out the door.

I'm by myself, for the first time since I've landed here. The times with Mew don't count, because… well, I was with Mew. I can finally think about what really _has _happened since I came here. The fact that I'm really here, and that this is really happening hasn't hit me yet, but I'm sure it will soon. And when it does… I just hope that I'll be able to face it. At least I know that I have Red if I need him. And I'm almost certain that I will. I like having someone else to be there, just in case I need to rely on them.

I don't know how long I sat there thinking to myself, but eventually Red comes back to the room in a bath robe.

"Philippe, I'm finished with the shower. You can go in now if you want. And let me tell you something. That shower is _amazing. _I can't even call it a shower! It's more like a hot tub! And a giant one, at that!" Red tells me.

"Well, I'm sure I'll like it then. It'll help me relax after all that's gone on." I say to him.

"Yeah. Want me to show you the way there?" He offers.

"Sure." I answer.

Red leads me down several hallways, through several doors, and finally we make it to the shower room.

"Well, here we are! I'll be waiting in the guestroom for you to finish, alright?" He says.

"Sure. If I take too long, just go ahead and do whatever without me. I know that Misty will be wanting to feed us, so if she says dinner's ready and I'm not, just go down without me." I tell him.

"No, I couldn't do that! I'll just continue waiting if it comes to that." So nice… I wish more people were like that back on Earth. Wow… it feels so weird saying that, "Back on Earth." Makes me feel like I don't belong here… I don't really know if I do or don't, so I'll just leave it at that for now.

I enter the bathroom, and Red's right. It _is _more like a giant hot tub than a regular old bathtub. It has multiple nozzles and faucets everywhere, some I know what they do because of labels, and some I'm scared to even touch. I step in and immediately feel relieved. Red had left the water running, so it was already filled back up by the time I got in. The hot water melted all my stress and tensions away, even if only for the moment. I felt completely at peace.

I sat in there for a while, and then decided it was time to actually clean myself off. Since this is the first time that I had stripped myself of my clothes, I haven't been able to closely and thoroughly inspect what Mew had changed about my body. Oh, and there were a couple of changes that I haven't mentioned either. One important one is that Mew had cleared my eyesight. Before, I was blind as a bat without my glasses, and now I don't need them at all! I'm positive that's what happened, because at around this age is when I first needed to wear them. Another thing is that Mew had gotten rid of all of the scratches and bruises that I had accumulated, both on Earth and in the past few weeks that I've been with Red. As soon as I gain one, it's healed and disappears. There are also some other, minor details that have been changed, and those I won't bother to mention.

After I'm done cleaning myself, I grab a towel and dry myself off. I then proceed to exit the room, then remember that I'm hopelessly lost. Luckily there's a maid nearby and she leads me back to the guestroom.

"So, how was your bath?" Red asks as I walk into the room.

"It was wet." I reply.

"So was mine!" He replies to me. I'm not sure if he meant it seriously, or was just replying in a joking manner.

"Do we just wait for Misty or one of her maids to come get us now?" I ask.

"Probably. What do you think there is to do here, anyways?" He asks back.

"I have no idea… how about we just sit?" I suggest.

"But that's booooooriiiiiiiingggggggg." He whines

"Well, do _you _have any ideas on what we could do to pass the time? Because if you did, I'd love to hear them." I tell him.

"Not exactly…" He replies.

"Then sit down and be quiet." I'm starting to feel like a mother now. Awkward.

That's exactly what we do. We just sit down on the bed, like before, and wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. Until eventually, when it seems like we can't take it anymore, we hear a knock on the door. Red gets up and opens it, and it's one of Misty's maids.

"Lady Misty asked me to tell you that dinner's ready, and for me to escort you to the dining hall." She tells us.

We follow her through the maze of a mansion, soon enough we make it to the dining hall. And she's right when she calls it a "hall." It's one gigantic stretch of space, with a huge table in the center of it. Maids are running here and there, some carrying large platters, some carrying nothing. The ones with the platters are setting them down on the table and setting the table itself.

"Oh, sorry that it's not quite ready yet. I didn't think you'd be here this quickly. It'll only take another minute or two." Misty says to us.

"That's alright, take your time." Red tells her. Thinking to myself, Misty seems to be a much nicer person now than she was back in the cave. I think she was just worried for all of us.

"Gah! Misty, what are you wearing? You never told us that we had to dress up!" Red exclaims, finally noticing the fancy dress that Misty had put on.

"Ah… it doesn't really matter. If I had wanted you to come dressed, I would've had my maids leave you with some clothes." She tells him.

"Phew… that's a relief." Red says with a nervous laugh.

"So, are you two hungry?" She asks, motioning us to sit down.

"I don't know about you, but I'm starved!" Red exclaims as he starts to wolf down the food.

"Red, manners!" I shout. This is just getting scarier and scarier. Usually, I don't care about manners myself, but for some reason I just feel like I have to protect Red.

"But Philippe, you must be starving as well! Dig in!" He says to me.

"Well, yes, I am hungry, because the last time I ate was the last time that you ate. But I'm not about to just scarf down everything at once!" I tell him.

"That's alright Philippe. You can go ahead and eat if you want to." Misty says to me.

"Well, if you say it's alright." I sit down and begin to eat.

Red makes conversation with the maids, telling them how he won all the battles he had in the cave, and all of them seemed impressed. Why wouldn't they be? An eleven year old boy beating even just one member of a criminal organization is amazing. I didn't mention that he had help from me; I want him to have his share of glory. I don't care if I get any or not.

"Yes, well, I would've been able to help as well, if the boulder didn't hit me in the face." Misty mumbles.

"W-what? A boulder? Misty, why didn't you say something earlier! We have to get you checked out! We have to-" A maid starts yelling and acting all flustered.

"It's alright. I'm fine now, see? There's nothing to worry about." Misty calms her down.

"Also, Red, Philippe, I need to talk to you two after dinner, alright?" Misty asks us.

"Yeah, sure. What's it about?" Red asks back.

"Well, it's something I don't want to talk about until after we're settled and comfortable. And you'll probably ignore me if I tell you while you're still eating." She's got a point there.

"Hey! I would not!" Red says, still while at the same time eating.

After we're done eating, we follow Misty outside into the garden. Now, one thing I must say. I've never seen a garden before, so I'm not sure how one's supposed to look, but this is magnificent. Many things I'm seeing here are. I think it's because this world's not as tainted as the one back home.

"So, you probably want to know why I brought you out here, huh? Well, the fact of the matter is that if we want to beat those guys, we're going to have to get much better. The one that Red fought today was probably lowly ranked, so the next time we see them we'll probably have to fight ones much harder. Our Pokémon are almost healed, so I suggest that we train tomorrow. A lot." Misty explains.

"Yes! No matter what, as long as it's a battle I'm in!" Red exclaims.

"Well, I know that I'll need a lot more before I'm able to go against those guys." I tell them.

"That's why we're going to be training. So you _can _go against those guys." Misty says.

"Alright, well, that's all I had to tell you. You two can go up to your rooms and do whatever. Just make sure that you're rested for tomorrow." And with that, she leaves us be.

We both find a maid and have her bring us to our rooms. It seems that the guestroom we were in earlier was just a room for us to wait in until dinner, and that we each have our separate rooms. Now, I won't say that I'm not disappointed by that, but I can't say I didn't expect it.

I get into my room and change into my night clothes (Provided by Misty), and do whatever it is that I need to do before going to bed. I slide into bed and right after I fall asleep, I enter another dream with Mew.

* * *

"Isn't this getting boring for you? I mean, every single time I bring you here it's the same thing night in and night out." Mew asks after a while of me standing there.

"Well, I've gotten used to it, but it's not boring. I actually look forward to coming here. It's the only relief I get from the day. I know that what's been going on right now isn't close to what's going to happen, but it's still new to me, I need some time to deal with it all." I answer.

"Well, that's good. I wouldn't want for you to not want to be here." Mew tells me.

"So… has anything else gone on?" She continues.

"Nothing much. It's the same as it was in the manga; but I do have one question regarding that. Will it forever be the same to the plot? Or will there be some differences because I'm here?" That's been bugging me ever since. Like I've said before, on one hand I want it to be the same, but on the other, I want it to be different.

"Well, at first it should be the same. I mean, you haven't been here long enough to have done anything to majorly screw up the plot. The longer you're here, the more your actions will change, so the more the story will stray from its path." She explains.

"Ah. Do you know when that would be?" It's a long shot, but I decide to ask.

"Not really. Has anything strange been going on?" She switches the topic.

"Like your answer before, not really. Why do you ask? Are you expecting something to go wrong?" Sounds like she is, but I'm not sure.

"No, no, it's not that. Well, actually, yes, it is. I shouldn't lie to you, Philippe. I've been wanting to warn you for some time now, and I've decided that it's best to let you know. Philippe… even though you were brought here, it's not because any of us wanted you here. Most of us were against it; a few were for it. I was one who was for it originally. Eventually, because of how much _you _wanted to come here, the rest agreed. You were the one who brought yourself here. And… some still don't want you here. They'll try everything to get you to go back to your world. They just don't want you here..." Mew tells me.

After Mew tells me that, something clicks into place. And with it in place, now I need to move something else around to accommodate for it.

"Mew, did you just say that 'it's not because any of 'us' wanted you here?'" I ask.

"Yes, what about it?" She asks me back.

"I just have another question… The night before I was sent here… the night Red brought me here and you took care of me, Red said something. He said 'I wouldn't even remember that I did something to them if it wasn't for 'him'.' Is one of the people who you had to make agree 'him?'" I ask.

"Ah, you're still amazing me with how quickly you are to realize things. Yes, Philippe, the man Red was talking about that night is one of the people who agreed to let you here. But, he's not one of the ones we had to have agree. He was all for you from the start. He's the one who got everyone else to agree on it." Mew explains.

"Also… are the people who had the decision to let me here or not all legendaries?" I continue to ask.

"Well, yes and no. Some of them are legendaries; all legendaries being included, but others are 'Guardians.'" I'm wondering who the "Guardians" are, but I'll just let her tell me on her own.

"I have one last question. Mew, why you? I mean, why were you chosen to safeguard me? Why was it you, and not another legendary?" I ask.

"Actually, it wasn't me who was chosen, but multiple legendaries." She says.

"First off, you're with me. That's because I'm the legendary of Kanto. Next, when you're finished with what you have to do here, you'll move onto Johto and meet Celebi. She'll be your guide there. After that will be Hoenn and Jirachi. Then there's all three of the Lake Guardians, Mespirit, Azelf, and Uxie in Sinnoh. Finally, to your knowledge, at least, there's Unova and Victini. I won't confuse you by telling you the rest of them, but you'll figure that out on your own." She continues to explain. I'm finally starting to understand more of how this entire system is working.

"So, basically, I'm just going to be swapped around every time I go to a new region?" I ask for confirmation.

"Yes, that's pretty much it." She replies.

"Ok, I think I understand it now."

"Good. Now, there's one last thing I want to tell you before you go. Philippe, I think you should know more of this world's religion. Well, religion and mythology. Since you're going to be staying here for a long time, you should get familiarized with how this world came to be. Every time, from now on, that you come to visit me, I'll tell you a bit more of the story. This includes the Guardians. You must be wondering about them." She tells me.

"Yeah. I've been wondering about all of that. I've been wondering about a lot of things lately…"

"Well, that's what I'm here for. To answer any and all of your questions. That I'm allowed to answer, anyways." With that, we finish our conversation, and she sends me back to the world I'm just growing used to.

* * *

I wake up, get dressed (Again, clothes provided by Misty), and head out the door in hopes of finding a Maid to lead me through the mansion once more. I easily find one who was just on her way to the dining room. Misty has so many maids that's it's hard to _not _see one. I follow her through the house that I still haven't figured out to navigate on my own, and we make it to the dining room. Red's already up and eating, so I grab a seat next to him. He looks as though he didn't get any sleep.

"Red, you look tired. Did anything happen last night?" I ask.

"Well, someone broke into my room last night! I don't know who it was or why they did it, but all of a sudden the window opened and a huge gust of wind blew in! The only thing I could find afterwards was a scale." Red says. At first I'm petrified by the thought of someone almost hurting Red, but then I remember that this was supposed to happen.

"Have you told Misty about this?" I continue to ask.

"Yeah, I told her first thing after I woke up. She also wanted me to tell you that after breakfast she wants us to start training. I think that, since we're already here, I should go to the gym and try to get my second badge! Since Cerulean Gym's a water type gym, I think Bulbasaur should have no problem beating the guy who runs it!" Red says enthusiastically. I hear the maids nearby snickering to themselves. What Red doesn't know yet is that Misty's the leader.

"You wanna come watch, Philippe?" Red asks me.

"Well, even if it isn't me battling, it'll be good to watch other people do so. It'll still help me learn new tactics, right?" I answer.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Red shouts. He's forgotten that I haven't had breakfast yet, but I'm not really hungry anyways. I follow him as he calls for a maid to show us out.

As soon as we exit, Red starts heading east, and I follow. He leads me for several minutes, then stops.

"Uhhh… Philippe?" He asks.

"Yeah, Red?"

"Do you know where the gym is?" Of course he'd ask that.

"I really should be used to this by now, shouldn't I." I say.

"Well, do you?" He continues.

"I asked the maid for a map before exiting the mansion, so yes, I do." I've learned to prepare whenever I go somewhere with him.

"Hehehe… good." This time, I lead the way, and he follows. In a short amount of time we bump into Misty.

"Hey, so, where are you two off to? I thought I told you that you should be training today." She says to us.

"Well, I decided that what better way to train than to challenge the Gym Leader here! And Philippe's decided to watch. Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to find the place." Red tells her as he walks by.

"Well, if you want to go to the gym, I can show you the way. I can even introduce you to the leader. We're… close." She says with a slight smile.

"Really? That'd be great!" Red says, back to his enthusiastic self now.

* * *

We follow Misty the rest of the way there, and soon we're at the entrance to the gym. We walk through the front door, and it seems to be empty. Much different from Brock's gym.

"Where is everyone? There were much more people back at the Pewter City Gym…" Red asks, confused.

"Each gym is different. You can't expect all of them to be exactly the same, can you?" Misty answers.

"That makes sense, I guess." Red says, still seeming unsure of the fact.

"So, where's the leader? That shouldn't change from gym to gym. Is he even here?" Red asks, now getting annoyed.

"If he isn't here, then why'd you even bring us? You said that you two were close, so you should've known if they'd be here or not!" Red continues to ask angrily.

"Red… I don't think you should be talking that way about Misty or the Gym Leader…" I start to warn him.

"No, no. Let him speak his mind. Red, what do you think about the leader?" Misty asks. I've got a bad feeling about this…

"Well, if he doesn't show up soon, then I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!" Red continues to shout.

"And what piece would that be?" Misty continues to ask.

"Well, for one thing, what kind of Gym Leader isn't at his gym when it's open! That's just being absolutely rude! And another thing; why leave his gym in such a mess? Nothing's put away, nothing's clean; the gym's a dump!" Red continues on his rage, and I can swear I can see a vein on Misty's forehead.

"Red… I'm starting to think that Philippe's right. Do you think that's any way to speak about a gym leader?" Misty asks, the anger clear in her voice.

"Who cares? He's not here right now, so I can speak however I damn well please!" Whoa. First time I've ever heard Red swear. And I don't think that this situation called for it; at least, to me it didn't. I guess Red's just that passionate about Pokémon and Pokémon battles.

"I wouldn't say that the leader's not here… Because 'he's' right in front of you!" Misty says with a dramatic accusing point towards Red.

"What? He's not here! Unless… no… you can't be saying that Philippe's the Gym Leader! He didn't even have any Pokémon when I first met him!" Red yells at Misty.

"No, you dumbass! I'm talking about me! I'm the gym leader!" Misty yells back.

"What? You? Now, that's even more ridiculous than Philippe being the leader!" This time Red starts to laugh uncontrollably.

"W-what are you two doing? Why are you two fighting?" I ask, the worry clear in my voice.

"Because Misty being the gym leader _is _ridiculous! If she's the gym leader, then why did she let herself be knocked unconscious back during the battle with those guys in the cave? If she's a gym leader, then she should've been able to take care of them easily!" Red shouts at me.

"Well, if you hadn't noticed, I seem to be missing my strongest Pokémon. And you seem to have it!" Misty shouts, talking about her Gyarados.

"Well, if you were a good trainer, then you wouldn't have lost him in the first place!" Right after Red says that, Misty gets a cold look in her eyes.

"You… take that back right now… you…" Misty says, her voice both low and feral.

"And why? It's the truth!" Red shouts back at her.

"Stop it! Just please, stop it!" I start to cry. I don't like it when people fight. Especially if it concerns people I care about. This time, both sides I care about. Red, obviously more than Misty, but I still care for her as well.

"That's it!" Misty shouts, sending out Starmie.

"Finally, you decide to fight!" Red shouts back, sending out Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur, charge Solar Beam!" For the first time Red doesn't start off a battle with razor leaf. But I think starting off with solar beam is even worse.

"Starmie, Ice Beam!" A blast of ice shoots from Starmie's gem, and hits Bulbasaur right on the bulb. The bulb's frozen solid, while the rest of him is fine.

"Bulbasaur! Gah… use Razor Leaf!" There we go with the razor leaves again. Since the bulb's frozen, nothing can come out. From that one attack, Misty's rendered Bulbasaur useless.

"Bulbasaur, return!" Red returns Bulbasaur and sends out Poliwhirl next.

One thing I should mention is that by now, I'm crying my eyes out. I can't stand my friends fighting… my _only _friends fighting. Even if I've only known Red for a few weeks, and Misty for only a few days, I'm closer to them than I have been with anyone else I've known. If I have to take a side in this… I don't know what I'll do.

By now Misty's frozen Poliwhirl as well, and Red's out of Pokémon.

"Take it back… And give me back Gyarados!" Misty shouts.

"No! You lost it, and I caught it! Gyarados is officially mine!" Although, he did manage to forget it back at the mansion.

"Philippe, I don't have any Pokémon left; help me!" Red directs towards me.

"Philippe, if you do…" Misty threatens.

Haven't either of them noticed that I'm on my knees sobbing? I've been crying the entire time that they've been fighting, and neither of them noticed.

"W-what do you expect me to do? D-do you expect me to take a side in this? Do either of you even care about how I feel? You're both my friends, and you're expecting this of me? I can't take a side! I can't choose one over the other! Red, you've been there to help me since I've started this journey, I have to admit, but Misty's also been there to take care of me! Both of you are my friends! I… just… can't… do this…" By the end I'm sobbing even more than I was at the beginning.

"Don't you see… if we keep fighting like this… do you think it'd even be possible for us to beat them? I don't mean to change the subject, but… it's true… if we keep fighting against one another… nothing good will come of it… so, please… just stop… fighting…" My throat's so dry from the yelling that I can only whisper at this point. I don't care if I'm acting like a drama queen, I don't care if _I'm _the one blowing things out of proportion. If it gets them to stop fighting, then that's all that matters.

"Philippe…" Red starts. He then stops talking, and walks up next to me. He kneels down, and embraces me.

"Philippe, I'm so… sorry… I… don't know what came over me…" Red tells me. His voice sounds so innocent… that I can't believe that he was capable of acting how he acted earlier.

Misty starts to walk forward, and also apologizes.

"Philippe… you're right. For once in my life, _I _was the childish one… I let my anger get the better of me." Misty says.

"Red… Misty… I just, don't want either of you fighting. I've never had anyone as close to me as you two, and I don't want you taken away from me." I admit.

"Philippe, we'll never leave you. Even if both of us had continued to fight, and it ended up with us completely hating each other, both of us still would've been your friend. Individually, that is." Red tells me.

"But… you wanted me to take a side in your argument… I hate taking sides. I want to help both of you, but I can't do that if you're on opposite sides." I remind him. Red flinches a little.

"Ah, yes… I did ask that, didn't I. Philippe, I'll say this again. I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. Heh. I guess I _am _childish and foolish, just like both you and Green said." He says with a sad smile. He doesn't like admitting to it, but he's right. He's acting how Green and I both described him as. I tried to sugar-coat it earlier, but deep down I know that this is the truth. I know he'll eventually mature, so that's why I'm not as worried about him as I normally would be. Doesn't seem possible for me to be more worried than this, does it?

"Well, now that we've made up, and we _have _made up, right? Anyways, now that everything's better, I think we should take to what Philippe said. If we keep acting like this, we'll never get anywhere with the men we met at the cave. Also, I've done some research while you two were sleeping, and found out that they have a name. They're called 'Team Rocket.' At least now we don't have to keep referring to them as 'those guys.'" Misty tells us.

"Wouldn't a good way to become closer be training together? We'll be able to do three things at once! Train our Pokémon, strengthen the bond between our Pokémon, and strengthen _our _bonds!" Red's back to his enthusiastic self, and is acting like that entire scenario never happened. I'm glad for it.

* * *

We trained for the next several days, and nothing much happened. It was the same routine every day. Wake up, train, eat breakfast, train, eat lunch, train, eat dinner, train, go to bed. Misty was working us almost to death. I didn't complain much, however, because I knew that if we were to beat Team Rocket that we'd have to train much harder than this. The only thing out of the ordinary that happened was that on the last day, Red managed to defeat Misty in one of their battles. Misty gave him the Cascade Badge for it. Also, Red finally gave Misty back her Gyarados by the end.

"Lady Misty, do you think that they'll be alright?" One of the maids says to Misty after our last training session.

"Yes. Even though we had that little scene back at the gym, I think that those two will be alright. Philippe knows how to keep Red in check, and he's even taught me a little something as well." Misty tells her.

Red and I are now on our path to the next town, whichever one that'll be, with the knowledge and training that we have gained from Misty. I hope it'll be enough for Red to be able to defeat the next Gym, because there he won't have any advantages. Actually, he'll be at a _dis_advantage. He still only has two Pokémon that are battle-strong, and those are Bulbasaur and Poliwhirl. Bulbasaur won't do much damage to electric Pokémon, and Poliwhirl's weak against them. Still, I won't know what'll happen until we get there. So I guess there's no sense in worrying about it now.


	11. RattaBill

Author's Note:

Fastest. Chapter. Ever. But I guess that's because of how short the actual chapter is. Anyways, I've just thought of something. I know I've been asking for reviews, but I think I should change that. Someone's finally sent in a review that's, well, a review! Most of what I've been getting is "Good Job." and "Keep up the good work." I don't want reviews like that. I want reviews from people that point out what I've done good, and what I've done bad. Because how will I get better if no one tells me what I'm doing wrong? I won't find out what I've done wrong if I don't think that it's being done wrong. And I won't see what I've missed if I keep missing it every time. So, this time I'll ask for criticism.  
/EndRant

Disclaimer:

I don't own Pokémon. That's pretty much all I have to say here. Well, that, and the fact that Nintendo and Game Freak do.

* * *

"Philippe, what's your favorite Pokémon?" Red asks me as we walk along the path we've chosen.

"Well, I guess it'd have to be Gastly." I respond.

"Why Gastly? Being both a Ghost and Poison type, Gastly aren't very strong! Ghost types are supposed to be good against Psychic types, but being Poison it makes it weak against what it should be strong against!" He rants. He always gets this passionate whenever he talks about Pokémon, and I find it to be extremely cute. Like most things about him.

"I know that. But one thing you should remember, is that Gastly's attack and speed are extremely high if you raise it well enough. So, even if it's weak against Psychic types, if it's attack packs a powerful enough punch it can easily one hit its opponent before it even gets one hit in!" I guess he's starting to rub off on me. I'm starting to get more enthusiastic about Pokémon as well.

"You're right there… But, I have another question to ask. Why do you like Ghost Pokémon so much? I mean, there's dozens of other types out there! Why Ghost?" He questions.

"I guess it's because I find myself being able to relate to Ghost Pokémon. Not only do few people like them, but they're mysterious as well. No one can really determine what makes a Ghost Pokémon a Ghost. There's so little known about them. They're also able to get away with things most people aren't able to." I add in that last part a bit quieter, but I know he can hear me. It's a good thing that he's too young to be able to get what I'm hinting at, otherwise I'd be in serious trouble.

"What kind of things?" Crap. Looks like I _am _in trouble after all. How to get myself out of this one…

"Well, they're able to pull tricks on people because they're invisible. Since they're able to hide from everyone's sight, they're able to do things without being seen." Good. Play to his innocence. That'll keep you safe, for now.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But, what I meant was, why do you like Ghost Pokémon so much in a battling sense?" He repeats his old question.

"Like I said, Gastly is able to grow to be an extremely strong Pokémon if you raise it right. That goes the same for most other Ghost Pokémon as well. I'm not one to try for incredible defense; if the Pokémon's able to knock out the other quick enough, who cares about defense?" It's how I truly feel; in everything that has attack/defense, I choose more attack rather than more defense or an equal amount of the two.

"But that won't work in long battles… your Pokémon's going to get tired out quickly." He tries to inform me.

"I'll now repeat what I said earlier, 'Since they're able to hide from everyone's sight, they're able to do things without being seen.' Because of that, Ghost Pokémon can hide from their opponents and attack without said opponent knowing what hit it. Literally. It also makes the Pokémon able to hide and rest when it needs to, in case it _does _get tired. Anyways, now that I've answered your question, I'll ask you the same. What's _your _favorite Pokémon?" I counter.

"I guess it'd have to be Poliwhirl. Not because I've liked it for a while, but because it's my first Pokémon that I've shared a real connection with. I thought that Pikachu would be yours because of the same thing." He answers. I look down at Pikachu, and wonder. I've had Pikachu for a while now, but we haven't really "bonded" yet. Sure, I've battled with him quite a lot within the past few weeks, but there hasn't been an emotional connection. I thought there was supposed to be one with a person's first Pokémon.

"Yes, well… I've always dreamed of having a Gastly. No, that doesn't mean that that's the Pokémon I was talking about when I first met you. I really think I _was _talking about Pikachu at the time." I tell him.

* * *

Now, here's a little something that I'll add in-between all this; something that I've told neither Red nor Mew about. At the very beginning, when I first came to this place, I was a total wreck. I didn't know anyone, and I didn't know what to expect. It's kinda like moving to a new place, or moving to a new school, but much worse. Because here, I don't have my family. Here, I don't have my old friends. If I can even call them that. I know I've said that they weren't my friends, which they really weren't, but they're people that I've known my entire life. They helped me remain stable. I didn't have any of that when I came here. Even when I first met Red, the person who I've always admired and have always… loved… I was still a wreck. I didn't know him. I didn't know how he'd really be like. After the first couple of weeks of getting to know him, I started opening up. After the little incident in Misty's gym, that's when everything hit. That's when I realized how easy it will be to lose him in this world. And I can't let that happen. So, I've decided to try to open up even more to him, and act how I truly am. If he doesn't like me for me, then what's the point? Just thought that you all should know that.

* * *

"So… what else is there to talk about? Since we're nowhere near the next town, we have a lot of time to ourselves. I mean-" He abruptly stops at the end, and also stops walking.

"Philippe, do you hear that?" He asks.

"Hear what?" After I say that, I get what he's getting at. There's a faint noise that we can hear, that's quickly approaching us. No, it's not like the Kangaskhan or the Nidoking that we ran into earlier; this one is an extremely soft sound.

"It's coming from there!" And he points towards the noise. It's approaching even quicker than before, and soon something pops out of the bushes. It's a Rattata. With a human's head. It's Bill! I've always loved Bill, mainly because of this one incident.

Bill doesn't seem to see us, and runs straight past. He stops, looks around, and sits down. Well, sits down as much as a Rattata can.

"Phew… I thought I'd never escape. Those Caterpie can be really vicious if they want to!" He says to himself.

"P-Philippe… Is that a… Rattata that can… talk?" Red says, quietly so he doesn't scare the "Pokémon" away.

"Red, I'm pretty sure that if you took a closer look you'd see that that Rattata isn't a normal Rattata." I explain.

"Of course it isn't a normal Rattata! It's a Rattata that can talk!" He quietly shouts.

"No, I mean physically. Look at the Rattata's body." I ask him. He pokes his head out of the bushes that we had been hiding in, and takes a closer look at the Rattata.

"What? I don't see any- OH MY GOD. THAT RATTATA HAS A HUMAN'S HEAD." Took you long enough, Red.

"I don't think that it's a Rattata, Red." I tell him. Also, because Red had screamed that last part, Bill heard us and has started scampering in our direction.

Red starts to get up to run, but I hold him down.

"Just wait a second, Red. If the Rattata has a head, then it can most likely speak. Let's see what he has to say before we start running." Red reluctantly agrees, and sits back down.

Bill finally catches up to us, and sighs a sigh of relief.

"Finally! Someone! I thought I'd never find another person out here! You don't know what I've been through!" He tells us.

"W-what kind of monster are you?" Red shouts defensively.

"Monster? I'm no monster! Ah… you must be talking about how I look. I know I look like a Rattata, but I'm really a Pokémon Expert! There's nothing to be afraid of!" Bill explains.

"Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven…" I begin to countdown. Both Red and Bill look over to me, confused.

"Three… Two… One." And as soon as I hit one, the Fearow swoops down and picks Bill up.

"W-what? Was that what you were counting down for? Why didn't you warn me?" Bill screams at me. It's hard to not laugh. He just looks so cute as a Rattata!

By the time Red gets over his shock, and by the time that I've stopped laughing (I know it's mean, but it's a screaming Bill-Rattata-Thing for crying out loud! I've never seen anything funnier in my life!), the Fearow's quite a ways from us.

"Do you think it's time for us to chase after him?" I ask.

"Yes, of course we should! If you're right and he is a human, then we should save him!" Red shouts at me.

"Well then, come on! The Fearow went that way." We both start chasing after the Fearow. Eventually, we do catch up with it.

"What do you think we should do now?" I ask Red.

"Stop it, of course!" Red answers.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" I ask again.

"By attacking it!" Red shouts as he sends on Bulbasaur.

"But don't you think that if you launched an attack towards Fearow, it might have the potential to hit Bill as well?" That stopped Red from commanding Bulbasaur to attack.

"Oh… Then, what do you think we should do?" He asks.

"I think we should wait to see where it lands, and after it lets go of Bill, _then _you can attack. Just be sure to try to aim for the Fearow, and not hit Bill by accident. It could still happen even when Fearow isn't holding onto him. And another thing. Bulbasaur; really? Grass is weak against flying, flying is strong against grass. That wasn't the smartest move on your part." I explain. His cheeks get a bit red at the part where I tell him about types, but he quickly recovers.

"Bulbasaur, return! And out you go, Poliwhirl!" Good. A much better choice.

"So, we just follow them for now?" He asks after Poliwhirl's out.

"Yeah; just until Fearow lands." And that we do. We continue to follow the Fearow for several minutes until it finally chooses a tree to settle down in.

"So. Think you can hit Fearow while it's hidden by the branches without hitting Bill at the same time?" I ask once we reach the tree.

"Yeah… I think I can." He responds, unsure of himself.

"_Think? _You _think _that you can hit the Fearow without hitting me?" Bill starts to scream. Looks like he can hear us from all the way up there.

"Well, I can't be 100% sure that I won't hit you!" Red shouts back.

"Red's right. Nothing's 100%." I add.

"So, Red. Why don't you try an ice beam? Ice is super effective against flying." I suggest.

"Sure! Poliwhirl, use Ice Beam!" Red commands. Poliwhirl shoots out a beam of ice (Hence the name) and it _does _hit something. What, we won't be sure of until it hits the ground.

After a couple seconds of the thing falling through the trees and hitting every branch on its way down (Reminds me of my fall here), we can see that Red did in fact successfully hit the Fearow. However, it still had Bill in its talons, so he was frozen as well. The good thing is Fearow fell on its back, so Bill's up in the air and didn't receive any of the impact.

* * *

It took us a couple hours, because of how cold the ice beam was it had frozen Bill to the core, to defrost him, but eventually he was back to his normal self. Well, as normal as a Rattata-Bill-Thing could be. Funny; I would've thought that this thing would only be possible in a game or story, being frozen to the core and all, but it's actually possible to survive it. I think it's because of how fast we were to start defrosting him.

"T-thanks… I g-guess…" Bill says, still shaking from the cold.

"Sorry it took so long to get to you." Red apologizes.

"Yeah, and sorry that Red froze you." I add.

"It wasn't entirely my fault! You told me to try!" Red yells at me.

"But you said that you were almost certain that you'd be able to hit Fearow without hitting Bill. If it were my decision, I would've let someone else do it. Like you. Which, in the end, is what ended up happening. So everything worked in my favor. As well as Bill's, I guess, because we _did _manage to get him down safely and unharmed. For the most part." I explain.

"Yes… well… whatever!" Red gives up arguing and lets me win. I think he misses the old me, because it was much easier for him to win an argument back then. But, I also think that he likes the new me more because of how much more "fun" I am. He was right; before I decided to be my true self around him, I was the most boring person ever. Even I knew that.

I give a slight grin and continue the discussion about Bill.

"So, Bill, how _did _you end up half-Rattata-half-Human? It's not every day that you see something like this." I ask.

"If you'd be so kind as to bring me to my cottage, I'd love to show you!" He squeaks enthusiastically. Now that he's not being chased, he sounds much more at calm. And with that calmness apparently comes a squeak, due to the Rattata-ness.

* * *

After having Bill lead us through half the route, we finally make it to his cottage. It isn't much; much less than Misty's mansion, anyways, but it's still cozy. It has a little garden out front and a porch.

"So, once we're inside you'll see two giant machines. All you have to do is place me in one of them, close the door, and flip the switch. After that, open the machine that you had originally placed me in, because in the other will be the Rattata." We do as he says, and once Red flips the switch there's a huge flash of electricity flowing back and forth between the two machines. Since I had Pikachu out (He was out for all of the journey from Misty's), his ears perked up at the presence of the electric energy.

After the flash began to die down, I went up to the machine that we had placed Bill in. I opened the door, and out stepped a regular, non-Rattata Bill.

"Well, that's even more of a relief than when the Fearow stopped. I didn't think I'd _ever_ get back to normal. Thanks you two!" He says to us.

"No problem! Now, if you don't mind my asking, what _is _that thing?" Red asks, pointing to the two machines.

"Well, it's a Pokémon transporter! I've been trying to upgrade from the old one, but it seems that there's a few bugs that I have to work out. You should know what the old one is; you've been using it every time you enter the Pokémon Center! It's the P.C. that lets you transport Pokémon from your party to your storage. The storage, in fact, is right out back!" Bill explains.

"Ohhhh, so you're the one who invented it! I've always wondered who could've been smart enough to think of something like that!" I say. Kiss-up, I know, but I want as many people to like me as possible. Like I've said before, I don't like it when people hate me.

"Aw, shucks! You don't have to say that! What I'm always thinking is that, if I hadn't have invented it, someone else would've done so eventually." He says, blushing.

"Well, who knows how long it would've taken them to do so." I add.

"So, now that I'm safe, it looks as though you have a lot of Pokémon with you Red." Bill mentions. Red's been catching many Pokémon; Rattatas, Caterpies, Weedles, Nidorans, first-stage-evolution Pokémon. None are going to be part of his main party, so I didn't think I needed to mention them earlier.

"If you wouldn't mind, I could take them off your hands right now and bring them to the storage out back!" Bill offers.

"Sure! That'd be a lot of help." Red agrees. If I didn't know that Bill was truly the inventor of the P.C. system, I would've went against Red and said that he didn't know this person, and that he might be lying to get Red's Pokémon.

"So, let me take thes—Ahhhh!" Bill screams as he jumps back.

"W-what is this?" Bill stutters.

"It's the Fearow from earlier!" Red answers. Of course, Red. Only you would capture a Pokémon during the heat of the moment like that.

"A-and why would you catch a Pokémon that tried to eat me?" He continues to scream in shock.

"Because I promised Professor Oak I would!" Red explains.

"Well, that's no rea- Wait… did you say… Professor Oak? As in, _the _Professor Oak?" Bill asks, still stuttering, although this time it's from amazement instead of fear.

"Yeah! Why do you ask?" Red continues.

"Because Professor Oak is my idol! He knows everything there is to know about Pokémon!" Bill praises. Hm, reminds me a little of Tracey from the anime.

"Umm… Do you think that… It'd be possible if I… Umm… Spoke to Professor Oak myself?" He asks nervously.

"Sure! Why wouldn't you be able to?" Red asks.

"Because he's Professor Oak! He probably has so much more to do than speak with me!" Bill responds.

"I'm sure it won't be a problem!" Red exclaims.

"Yeah. Professor Oak's probably wondering how we're doing anyways. We should give him a call so you can tell him how much progress you've made on the PokéDex." I add.

"The PokéDex? What's that?" Bill asks.

"Oh! It's like a Pokémon Encyclopedia! It records all sorts of information on every single Pokémon!" Red explains, once again, just like he did in Pewter City.

"That is, if you can catch them. Some information's recorded when you just point the thing at them, but you have to actually catch the Pokémon for it to be able to find out all the information it can." I add.

"Which is why I've caught all these!" Red says as he pulls out all his Pokéballs. I never realized it before, but Red's caught a lot within the past few days. No wonder Bill's offering to put them in storage right here and now.

"So, you think it's possible that Professor Oak wouldn't be too busy to speak with me? That is, after I put all of your Pokémon away." Bill questions.

"Of course you can!" Red answers.

Bill takes all of the Pokémon Red's not planning on using in his next Gym Battle and goes out back to the storage. I don't need to give him any to put away because, well, Pikachu's still my only Pokémon. I'm planning on getting a Gastly next. I know we'll be heading over to Lavender Town soon (That place still creeps me out. Although, I did add the Lavender Town theme to my MP3 back home.), so I'm expecting to see plenty.

When Bill returns, Red gets on the phone and dials up Professor Oak.

"So, I see you're already close to Vermillion City! To think… just a couple days ago you were at Cerulean! And back then I thought that that was amazing! You two are just all over the place, aren't you?" Oak praises.

"Yeah! And look at how many Pokémon I've caught!" Red says as he shows Oak the PokéDex.

"Umm… Red. I hope you do know that I can't see the PokéDex from over here. Heh… just plug it into the phone and send the info over!" Oak tells him. He does so, and while the transfer's going on Red introduces Bill to Oak.

"Professor, this man says that you're his idol and that he's been wanting to meet you for some time!" Red explains.

"Ah… Err… Hello, Professor Oak!" He says, mashing his words together.

"Red, I think we should give them some time alone, alright?" I whisper to him.

"Why?" Red asks, naively.

"I think us being here isn't making Bill any less nervous." I explain.

"Alright." He agrees, and we both walk out of the cottage.

* * *

After a while of just sitting around, Red and I decide that it's been enough time and walk back in. Bill and Oak seem to be finishing their conversation, so Red walks back up to the phone.

"Ah, Red. You're back. So, Bill tells me that he's the inventor of the P.C. that everyone's using! He's also agreed to send me a couple every once in a while so I can study them some more; you don't think that the Pokémon I own are all of them, now, do you? If that's alright with you, that is." He explains.

"Sure! I've caught most of the ones that are in storage just for info for the PokéDex, so you can keep them!" Red agrees.

We thank Bill for letting us rest up at his cottage, and hit the road.

"So, Red. Where to next?" I ask.

"Well, I'm guessing Vermillion City. It's the closest city to us, and it has the next gym!" He responds enthusiastically.

"Yeah. How do you think you're going to do at the gym there? It's all electric types, and you only have Bulbasaur and Poliwhirl." I remind him.

"Well, I'll have to make do somehow, won't I? I haven't lost a battle yet!" He tells me. I won't remind him of how he lost to Misty, because I don't want to remember that incident either. I know I'll have to, however, because for some reason… That rage that Red exhibited sticks out in my mind… like it's not the only time that I'll be seeing it.


	12. The St Anne and Lt Surge

Author's Note:

Now, first things first. I've decided to put Chapters 10 and 11 of the Manga together, only because it wouldn't make any sense to separate them. Second thing; I'm getting really excited. Why? Because in just a few chapters, I'll be meeting my favorite female protagonist! And I think you can guess who that is. One more thing; I'm sorry if the line breaks don't seem to be in the correct positions. That's another thing I'm having trouble with; where to place them. Tell me if you have any suggestions that would help with having me know when to place them and when not to. Well, that's pretty much it for this note. Very short compared to the last. Also, I'd like some more reviews please. Reviews make me happy.

Disclaimer:

I don't own Pokémon. Nintendo and Game Freak do. That is all.

* * *

"Isn't it amazing?" Red says, well, amazed.

This is the first time he's ever seen an ocean. It's not as large as the ones on Earth, but it's still amazing. I think that's also because I've only ever seen one once in my life, and that was when I was only 8.

"Hey, everyone, why don't you take a look as well?" Red says as he sends out his two Pokémon. I've already had Pikachu out, so I don't need to.

"Yes, let them take in the sights as well. It's not every day that you see something like this." I say while sitting down.

"Let's stay like this for a little longer. Taking in the sights, no fighting, no battles, no running away from Team Rocket, no running after Team Rocket either. Nothing. Just… this." I say to myself. Even though we aren't that far into the story, it's taken a real toll on me. Because I've never had anything like this happen to me before. I've always been one to say no to anything dangerous. And this is putting my life in danger every single day I'm here.

"You really are tired, aren't you Philippe?" Red says as he lies down.

"Yeah… I've never done anything like this in my entire life. It's scary, chasing down bad guys and being chased by bad guys. I've always read about these sorts of things, and watched these sorts of things on T.V. But… I never thought that they'd ever happen to me. Especially at only 10. It's… too much."

I lie down myself, and close my eyes. I start to think of Red, Green, and everyone else that I'll soon come to meet. I think of what they have to go through, and what they've already gone through. I think of Silver and his past, Blue and her past. I think of Ruby and Sapphire, and what they've gone through. I think of how much younger Emerald is, than I, and what he's going through. I think of how lonely Berlitz must be, and I think of Black and his two friends. I think of them all, and they're what give me strength. Even though I haven't met them… What they've gone through, and what they're going to go through, is much worse than what I've gone through. Knowing that they've been able to survive their hardships, or, will be able to, gives me the strength to keep going. Heh… It sounds as if I was about to give up. I was never going to give up. But… knowing that, it's made this a bit easier for me.

"Philippe, are you alright?" Red asks, waking me up from my daze.

"Ah… yeah. I was just thinking again." I answer.

"You were just so quiet. I wasn't sure if you were asleep, or…" His voice trails off.

"No, nothing like that will happen to me for a long time. Same with you. I have to stay alive, because without me, who'd keep you alive? You wouldn't last a day without me!" I exclaim.

"Yeah right! I'd be able to catch Team Rocket all by myself!" He shouts.

"Well, I'm sure you're right on that. But… with me, it'll be easier, won't it?" I add.

"Yeah. It's always easier with friends." He says as he puts his arm around me. There's the sting again. "Friendzoned."

"So, how about we get going? Vermillion City's just at the bottom of the hill." I tell him.

"Yeah! We should- Hey, what's that?" He asks.

…Dammit. Really, Surge? Do you _have _to come in _now?_

"I think it's a cruise ship, Red." I say, my annoyance leaking out.

"We should check it out! You coming, Philippe?" Red asks as he's already started running down the hill. Of course he would. At least he didn't notice my tone.

"Yeah, I'm coming." I slowly begin to get up and chase after him.

* * *

"Wow! That's a huge ship!" Red says, amazed.

"Yeah. I've never seen anything as big in my life. Well, ship-wise, of course." I tell him.

"Where do you think it's headed?" He asks.

"I don't know. Hm… maybe it has something to do with a person named Anne? I don't know. There's the words "St. Anne" painted on the side, however." I explain.

"I wonder where this 'Anne' person is going! Wanna go check it out?" He asks again.

"But aren't we already checking it out?" I respond. I really don't want to get on that ship.

"I mean do you wanna check it out from the inside?" He continues.

"Fine. I just can't say no to you, can I?" I give in easily. Mainly because I know that I'll have to get on it eventually.

"Nope! Now, follow me!" He leads. I decide to return Pikachu, because somehow I know that he'll be safer there. Red follows my action and returns both of his as well.

We find several open boxes, and we each hide in one. We wait for a couple minutes (Which feel like a couple hours in these boxes), and eventually people from the docks arrive. They pick up the boxes, and bring them onboard the ship. What Red wasn't expecting, however, and what I wasn't expecting either, is that the two boxes we hid in were actually destined for two separate locations on the ship. This will not turn out well. No it won't.

When the man puts down the crate, I wait a couple minutes before getting out. I take a look around, and notice that I'm in a storage room. Figures. Anyways, I find the door fairly quickly and head out. Looks like the storage room wasn't that far from the deck. I guess I'll just hide out here until I spot Red. Or until I hear him get thrown off the ship. Whichever comes first.

It seems like I'm waiting on a lot of things here. I've waited a good hour or so with no sign of Red. I know he hasn't been found out yet, because if he had been then I would've heard a splash. I decide to get up and move around when I spot something in the corner of my eye. Red cap, check. Black hair, check. Red vest, check. Blue pants, check. Yep. It's Red.

I decide to play a trick on him. When he stops running and hides behind a crate, I get up and slowly creep towards him. When I'm right behind him, I tap on his shoulders, and he gives a shout.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaah!" He screams as he falls backwards. I can't help but laugh at this point.

"W-what's so funny?" He yells angrily.

"Nuh-uh. Remember, we're not supposed to be here. So, you shouldn't be screaming and giving the crew members our location. That'd get us thrown off." I tease. It's fun to see him get mad like this. Not rage-mad, but just ticked-off-mad. The main reason why I pulled this trick on him is because, since I had the feeling that the time at Misty's Gym wouldn't be the only time I saw that level of madness, I've decided to get him mad occasionally, just so he can let out his anger a little bit at a time instead of all at once. Not sure if that'll work, but it's just an idea.

He's still angry, but he doesn't scream anymore. We both continue moving around the deck until Red hears something.

"Hey, Philippe, did you hear that?" He asks.

"Yeah; it sounded like a Pokémon. Which do you think it could be?" I ask back.

"I don't know… but one thing I do know is that I'm going to find out!" Red says as he dashes across the deck. I guess I have no choice now but to follow behind. As we both get closer to the noise, we hear some muffled voices. I know something's going on in there. What, I'm not sure, but I do know that someone's in trouble. There's a lot of yelling.

Red decides to take a look through the porthole, and gasps.

"Philippe, it _is _a Pokémon! I don't know what it is though…" He sounds disappointed.

"Well, maybe I can-" I was cut off by the sailors shouting at us.

"Hey! You two aren't supposed to be on this ship!" Yes, captain obvious. Actually, you aren't really the captain, but who cares.

They easily catch up to us, mainly because Red was standing on several crates to be able to reach the porthole, so he'd have to climb down before running, and I didn't want to leave Red behind. They pick us up by our collars and literally throw us overboard. It was a good thing that the ship hadn't left the port yet, or else we'd be in serious trouble.

"Owwwwwwwwww… they didn't have to throw us off! They could've just escorted us!" Red complains.

"Now, Red, do you honestly think they would've escorted us? That would've been a waste of their time, according to their mindset. We're just kids, and time shouldn't be wasted on misbehaving children." I tell him.

"Now that's just mean!" He exclaims.

"Anyways… about that Pokémon I saw. It wasn't something that I've ever seen before!" He tells me.

"Well, since I didn't have a look at it, I don't know if I would've known what it was." I say.

"Well, I probably would've had a better chance at knowing what it was than you, so if I don't know what it is then you probably don't either." Ouch. That really hurt, you know that?

"I've been studying, if you haven't been paying attention. Every time we stop, I take out a book that I've acquired through… various methods, and read up on Pokémon. I think I actually might know more than you do now." I brag. Which he doesn't seem to like. But, before he can get out his annoyance, an old man walks up to us. And I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot of him later on.

"Excuse me you two, but… those things on your belts… are they by any chance… pokéballs?" He asks.

"Why, yes they are! Why do you ask?" Red asks back.

"I'm just amazed to see two boys as young as yourselves training Pokémon! Back in my day, we had to wait until we were practically adults before we could get our first Pokémon!" He explains.

"What? When you were adults? I don't know what I would've done if I had to have waited that long! I couldn't wait to get my first one at 10!" Red tells the man. Now it's his turn to be amazed.

"10? That's younger than I thought!"

"Yeah! So… what are you doing here anyways?" Red asks.

"Well, I'm looking for potential members for my Pokémon fanclub!" The man says.

"'Pokémon Fanclub?' What's that?" Red asks. Why, I don't know Red. Whatever could a "Pokémon Fanclub" be? Let's take apart the two words. Pokémon, and Fanclub. Oh, I get it now! It must be a Fanclub about Pokémon!

"It's a Fanclub for people who love Pokémon!" Just as I thought.

"And I think you two are just perfect for it!" He adds. He then grabs us by the arms and leads us to his H.Q.

* * *

"So, now that we're here, let me introduce you to everyone!" The man says, a bit too loud. I start to tune him out. I've never liked introductions. Especially with people who I know I'll never see again.

After a while, he stops talking, and Red speaks up.

"So, what do you do here?" He asks.

"Well, we obsess over Pokémon, of course!" The old man answers.

"Why don't you show everyone your Pokémon?" He continues.

"Sure!" Red agrees and sends out both of his Pokémon.

"Philippe, how about you show them your Pikachu?" I reluctantly agree and send him out.

"Uhh… Red? Could I speak with you for a moment?" I ask. Red follows me to a corner of the room, and listens.

"Red, I don't really do well with crowds… would it be ok if I went outside while this is going on? I can leave Pikachu here for everyone to fawn over; I just don't want to be here myself." I explain.

"That's fine. I'll let you know once I'm done." I thank him, and leave the building.

I can't believe that there were that many people in the fanclub. I thought there'd only be four or five, but no. There were almost thirty people!

After a while of waiting for Red, I see a man run into the fanclub building. I wonder what's going on, then remember that this is when the man who just ran in tells them about how his Pokémon's been stolen, and then the old man telling Red that there's a Pokémon thief on the loose. And, Red being Red, of course he wants to put a stop to it.

After a couple more minutes, Red comes running out of the building.

"Philippe, this man just told me that his Exeggute was stolen! And then the old man told me that his Abra was stolen not too long ago as well! We have to help them get their Pokémon back!" Yep. I was right. Red wants to help them out.

"These people say that the men steal the Pokémon around the same time every month… If they stole all of them at the same time, they'd have to have a way of transporting multiple Pokémon at the same time, wouldn't they? Since they're not the original trainer, they wouldn't be able to get the Pokémon back into their pokéballs. So, how would that be possible…" He says to himself.

"Well, wouldn't that suspicious ship we were on earlier seem like the perfect candidate of being their transport? I mean, you saw the unknown Pokémon through the porthole, and the sailors were furious when they found out that we were there. Yes, normally they would've just escorted us off, if they had a heart, anyways, but instead they threw us overboard." I explain.

"You're right! There you go again, thinking of solutions and answers right on the spot." He complements.

"Thank you. Anyways, I think I'll come with you then. Knowing you, you'd probably get caught before you even made it on the ship! May I remind you of what happened last time?" I tell him.

"But you got caught too!" He exclaims.

"That's only because I did what you had asked of me. This time, I'll lead the way." I state.

"Fine…" He reluctantly agrees.

* * *

"Knowing you, you probably would've gone straight to the ship and snooped around yourself, correct?" I ask.

"Of course! We can't waste any time!" He tells me.

"Well, we're not going to do that. No, instead, we're going to the dispatcher. First we need to find out who owns the ship and what it's being used for. They might not tell us, but then again, they might." I explain.

We make our way over to the dispatch station, whatever it's called, and walk in. We ask the person behind the desk who owns the St. Anne, and what it's being used for.

"The person who owns the St. Anne is none other than Lt. Surge himself!" The woman tells us.

"Who's Lt. Surge?" Red asks.

"Red, if you knew anything about the gym, then you'd know that he's the Gym Leader of Vermillion City." I explain.

"What? Really?" Red asks, excited.

"Yes, really. And for what it's being used for, it's being used to transport materials to Cinnabar Island." The woman continues.

"Thanks for the information!" Red thanks the woman, and we both head out. Wow. I never thought that we'd actually get the information, and I'd have to fake as to how I knew that without being told.

"So… Philippe. An entire ship for a Gym Leader? Doesn't that sound suspicious? And, these 'materials'… Do you think that they could be the stolen Pokémon?" He asks, still excited.

"Yes, they most likely are. So, _now _we head to the ship." I tell him.

We both make our way back to the ship, and this time we decide to hide in the same crate to make sure we aren't separated again. Once we're put down, we both get out, and immediately Red spots something.

"Hey, Philippe! Isn't that a pokéball?" Yes Red, yes it is.

"But… didn't you say that the thieves probably wouldn't be able to get the Pokémon back into their balls, because they weren't the original trainer?" I ask.

"Yes, but this is the only lead we have so far! Let's go!" Again, he takes off without any warning, and I'm forced to chase after him.

I decide to send out Pikachu, only because I don't know what we're going to run into on this ship. We might run into one of the stolen Pokémon, and because they don't know that we're here to rescue it, they might attack us. Better to be safe than sorry. Hm, I say that saying a lot.

When Red gets to the pokéball, he touches it, and immediately steps back.

"Ow! That's not a normal pokéball!" He shouts.

Of course it's not a normal pokéball, because it's not a pokéball at all. It's a Voltorb. I used to hate them in the games, always making me think that they were an item, and as soon as I pressed A they attacked. Oh, and speaking of thinking that Voltorbs were items, did you know that items are actually carried inside pokéballs? They aren't normal pokéballs, but specially made ones. Ones for items. I've always wondered how trainers could carry their bike in their bag, along with all of their pokéballs, recovery items, TMs/HMs (By the way, they don't have TMs or HMs here. People just teach their Pokémon moves themselves), etc.

"What is that thing?" He asks.

"According to its similarity to a pokéball, I'd have to say that it's either a Voltorb or an Electrode. Probably a Voltorb, because it's so small." I tell him.

"And you're right about that!" A voice from behind us shouts. Why all the shouting?

We both quickly turn around, and we're now face to face with Lt. Surge. The Gym Leader of Vermillion City. And apparently the leader of these thieves. Go figure.

"I never thought a kid as young as you could be so knowledgeable concerning Pokémon. But that knowledge won't save you here! Because on this ship, we deal with trespassers harshly. No matter who they are. Even kids like you!" And there he goes again with the yelling.

"Yes, well, it doesn't really matter if you won't treat us differently. Because we'll beat you just the same." I state. Wow. Where'd the confidence come from? Probably because I know what he'll do to Red if I let him.

"Oh? Finally, a kid with some spunk! This'll be more interesting that way!" He roars back. I think I'm going to be deaf after this.

"Who are you, anyways?" Red asks. Didn't I just say that Lt. Surge runs this ship?

"Now why would you think I'd tell you that?" He teases.

"Because if you don't, it makes you look as if you have something to hide! And we know that there are stolen Pokémon on this ship!" Red shouts back at him. Well, I know the Pokémon are here. Red's just going by his assumptions.

"Oh? So, you think we're the thieves? Looks like the both of you are smarter than you look! But, you've got it all wrong. See, we're not _stealing _these Pokémon. No, no, no. We're saving them! Pokémon are meant to do battle, and what those people there are doing is just wrong! They're keeping their Pokémon from doing what they were born to do! And if we made a little money while doing so, it'd just be a bonus! You see, _we're _the good guys here." He explains. Although, his explanation sounds a bit weak.

"So you _are_ the people who are stealing the Pokémon!" Red shouts, his tone getting angrier. I really don't like the sound of that. Well, if he _does _go back into his rage-mode, at least this time it'll be towards someone who deserves it. I'll still try to stop it.

"I'm not one who likes to fight an unfair battle, so I'll let you choose your Pokémon before starting. Go ahead. It doesn't matter, though. None of your Pokémon will be strong enough to beat mine!" He laughs.

"Philippe, what should we do?" Red whispers to me.

"Well, I guess it'd either have to be your Bulbasaur or my Pikachu. I know that he won't be using any of the stolen Pokémon, because that could 'harm the merchandise.' So he'll most likely be using one of his own. And, because he's an electric gym leader, his personal Pokémon should be electric. Poliwhirl would faint immediately if you sent him out." I tell him.

"That's true… So, which of the two should fight?" He asks again.

"Probably Bulbasaur. Electric isn't effective against electric, both Electabuzz and Pikachu would both do less damage. Electric isn't effective against grass, but grass does its full damage." I suggest.

"Alright then. Go, Bulbasaur!" Red sends out Bulbasaur, and just as I suspected, Surge sends out an electric type. Electabuzz, to be exact.

"Electabuzz, Thundershock!" Right to the point, eh? The thundershock hits Bulbasaur, but it doesn't seem to do much. A bit more than expected, however.

"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!" And the vines come out again. Hehe… Vines. Can't believe I haven't thought of them in that way until now. Anyways, they wrap around Electabuzz's feet. Doesn't seem like that was a good idea.

"Electabuzz, shock that bulb!" Electabuzz charges its feet up with electricity, and the currents go straight through the vines to Bulbasaur. _That _has an effect.

"Gah! B-Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed!" Dozens of seeds come flying out of the spore and attach themselves to Electabuzz. This time, the attack seems to work. The vines slowly begin growing until they've completely covered Electabuzz. He's immobile, for now.

"That's it! Bulbasaur, charge up!" And Red has Bulbasaur ready a Solarbeam. Since the vines have Electabuzz unable to move or attack, Bulbasaur has more than enough time to ready the Solarbeam and launch its own attack. The huge beam of sunlight comes out, and hits Electabuzz directly in the chest. And now that everyone's blinded by the light, I think it's about time we leave.

"Red, let's get going!" I call to him.

"Right!" And he follows after me. He returns Bulbasaur to his pokéball, but the aftereffect of the Solarbeam remains.

We run out of the door and back onto the deck, and quickly pick a random direction and run. We can hear the men shouting behind us, but we don't stop.

Eventually, we come to a split and _do _stop.

"Which way now?" Red asks.

"Well, I don't really know… If anything, I think we should go that way." I point in an eastward direction.

"Mainly because that's where the Pokémon are. See?" I continue, now pointing towards a Magnemite.

"Aha! So, the stolen Pokémon must be somewhere there!" He exclaims.

"That, or it could be a trap. Considering Magenemite's an electric Pokémon and Surge uses electric types." I add.

"W-what? Then why would we go there if it could be a trap?" He questions.

"Well, because it's our only lead, right?" I explain. This gets him to agree with me, and we both head in the direction of the Magnemite. Eventually we reach a ladder, and both decide that it'd be our best bet to climb up.

When we reach the top, we both head straight and eventually run into several Magnemite, followed by a Magneton.

"Hm… now, why so many?" I wonder out loud.

"I don't know, but doesn't it seem-" Red's cut off (Everyone seems to be cutting him off lately) by the Magneton's and Magnemite's screech.

"Yep. I'm 100% positive that after this I will have gone deaf." I say out loud, although I know no one can hear me, because I can't even hear myself.

While we block our ears, Surge's men surround and bind us. While we're bound, Surge comes up and takes all three of our Pokémon.

"Heh… I never thought you two would make it this far. I have to applaud you two. But, your effects were for naught. Because in the end, we still caught you and your Pokémon too." He says, tossing the pokéballs up in the air.

"Give them back!" Red shouts, almost in tears. He went from being ragey to teary in such a short amount of time, it's shocking.

"Oh? You mean these? Now, why would I do such a thing like that?" He asks us. Probably sarcastically. Yep. It was sarcasm.

"Because they're ours!" Red shouts as he tries to rush Surge. The Magnemite move in front of him and create a wall, so Red's pushed back down.

"Hahaha! You think that you can get past my Magnemite? Their bodies are made of pure steel. Nothing can get past them!" He gloats.

"Now, about your Pokémon… Since I don't want to take the risk of having you bother me again…" He finishes by opening the pokéballs off the railing, and letting the Pokémon fall into the ocean below. Now, with Bulbasaur and Pikachu I can understand, but Poliwhirl? Doesn't he know that Poliwhirl's a water Pokémon and can swim? And I don't think he knows about the secret at the bottom of the water either. Which I just so happen to remember what it is. Yay for having a selective memory!

"And now that you're helpless… We'll show you what we really do to people who trespass on our property. Especially those who try to steal from us. Electabuzz… Thunderbolt!" Surge commands.

Electabuzz begins charging up by rubbing its hands together, and I instinctively run in front of Red.

"Philippe, what do you think you're doing?" He shouts. There isn't enough time for me to answer before Electabuzz launches his attack, and we're both sent flying from the impact. I manage to grab hold of Red before we're separated, and we're both flung into the ocean.

As we're both sinking deeper and deeper, the last thing I can remember before falling unconscious from lack of oxygen is Red's face. Emotionless and still.


	13. A Little Bit of History, Recovery

Author's Note:

Sorry if it seems like things were jammed in at the last minute; some were. I just kept having more and more ideas and I just couldn't decide where to fit them all. Anyways, I tried writing in the way I'm not used to again this chapter; tell me what you think. Not just "Good job" or anything, but your actual thoughts as to how I did.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or anything related to it. Nintendo and Game Freak do.

* * *

"Philippe, wake up." A voice echoes.

I'm not sure where I am, or when I am, but the first thing I can remember has me awaken immediately. Red! I remember what happened, and am immediately stricken with fear all over again. I don't know what happened to him. I know that Poliwhirl should evolve and save him, but… what if he doesn't? There's all these 'what ifs' that are running through my mind. What if something's changed because I'm here, and things don't go as they're supposed to? What if Poliwhirl doesn't evolve? What if Poliwhirl loses the next stage of the fight with Surge? What if-

"Philippe! Stop that, or else you're going to make things worse!" The voice speaks again.

I finally open my eyes, and see that I'm face to face with Mew. At least I know that I'm alive. It doesn't help, however, because if things _did _change, Mew could just teleport me to safety, while Red is… I don't want to think about it.

"Philippe. Stop worrying about Red. He's fine. You should be worrying about yourself more than him. That's what he's doing right now. You don't know how worried he is for you." Mew tells me. I feel the relief of knowing that Red's safe, and… something else… something else, because of how much Red is worried for me. I know that I'm safe, but he doesn't. He really cares…

"Yes, he does, Philippe. He cares a lot. You're his only friend right now, and you're probably going to remain his friend for a long time. I say probably, because I can't tell what actions you're going to perform in the future. But, from what you've shown… you're going to be best friends for a very long time." It makes me feel much better when Mew says that. It has me know that it's not just a hope that I have, and that it might be real.

"Also… I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier. It's just, if you kept worrying like that, for no reason, your body would've taken on too much stress. Now, I'm not sure if this is because of how you were on Earth, or because of the way that I changed your body, but your body wasn't, and isn't, capable of handling all the stress and pain and danger that it was put in when you two were thrown overboard. The thunder, the water, the drowning… The worst part was when you saw Red. That's what did it, and your body just shut down. Right now, you're unconscious and recuperating. Anything you do in here, however, will affect your body's ability to do so. So it'd be best if you just relaxed." She explains.

"But, what about Red? I don't want him to worry for any longer than he has to!" I quickly tell her. I want to get out of here as soon as possible, to show Red that I'm fine.

"No, Philippe. If you do that, it'll do even more damage to your body than has already been done. It's best if you stay here until your body's done recovering." She tries to convince me.

"But…" I start.

"No buts. You're staying here, and that's final." Wow. For a little girl, Mew sure is strict.

"Alright…" I give in.

"So, now that you're here, how about I start on the origins of this world? It'd be better for you if you did something rather than just stand around waiting. It should also get your mind off of what happened." She suggests.

"Sure. I've always wondered how this planet was formed. I have a good sense of how mine was, but there are many different theories." I tell her. I'm still worried about Red, but this'll help me get my mind off of it, like she said.

"Well, there's only one theory here. And it's the true theory. That's because people who were there at the creation are still alive today. And I'm one of them! So you're going to hear it directly from the source." She tells me. Good. I don't want any doubts in my mind about what happened. For some reason, I think that it's going to be important that I know everything.

"In the beginning, there was nothing. No, seriously. There was absolutely nothing. Us Legendaries and the Guardians came from a different universe entirely. We decided that we wanted to create a new world by ourselves. Why, I won't say. That's something that only we know, and we alone. It's… not something we like to talk about." She starts. I understand why she wouldn't want to tell me. If it's personal, it's personal.

"Alright, so, everyone decided that they wanted to create a new world, a new universe. We all gathered together, Legendaries and Guardians alike, and we created a portal to another universe. Now, all universes are pre-made. Why, we don't know. What we do know is that many of them are still uninhabited. We chose one that no one had been to before. After we arrived, we had to decide who would rule the world. Legendaries and Guardians are different; Legendaries are Pokémon, Guardians are Human. Back then, we were all selfish. We still are, really. Both sides wanted their race to have control. We eventually agreed for both to live on the planet, in peace. We created the first 147 "Normal" Pokémon. The other five that you know are me, Mewtwo, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. All Legendaries created the Pokémon that inhabit the planet. However, each region's Legendaries created their region's Pokémon. The five of us created and controlled the Pokémon of Kanto. Entei, Raikou, Suicune, Ho-Oh, Lugia, and Celebi all took Johto. Regirock, Regiice, Registeel, Latias, Latios, Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza, Jirachi, and Deoxys all took Hoenn. Mespirit, Azelf, Uxie, Palkia, Dialga, Giratina, Darkrai, Cresselia, Manaphy, Heatran, Regigigas, Shaymin, and Arceus took Sinnoh. Yes, many more than the other three regions, but that's how they decided. We all decided to choose our own friends and partners in the ruling of the lands. Finally, Victini, Virizion, Cobalion, Terrakion, Keldeo, Tornadus, Thundurus, Landorus, Zekrom, Reshiram, Kyurem, Meloetta, and Genesect all took Unova. You get all of this so far?" She asks.

"So, basically, each of the legendaries is the legendary of their region because they chose it, right?" I summarize what she had said.

"Correct. Now, I know that, according to what has been said on Earth, Genesect and Mewtwo are supposed to be Man-Made Pokémon, but they aren't. Genesect was formed by Team Plasma taking its fossils and modifying it. Genesect isn't its true self; he was transformed by the humans. Same with Mewtwo. Mewtwo used to be like me; although, male, obviously. It was Team Rocket that made him who he is today." She continues to explain.

"So… it was really humans who made Mewtwo into what he is? And… the same with Genesect?" I ask for confirmation. I don't really know much about Genesect; all I do know is that Team Plasma's scientists tried to resurrect him and modify him, N stopped the experiment, but the lead scientist continued it.

"Yes. Humans don't know when to mind their own business. All they want is to better themselves, without caring who or what has to suffer to do so." She says bitterly.

"I have to agree on that. With what they've done to Earth… This planet isn't as bad as what's happened back home. From what I've seen, it's much better." I tell her.

"I'm sorry for what's happened to your planet." She apologizes.

"You don't have to apologize. I don't really care what happens to the planet. Before _and _after I came here." I tell her.

"You really don't like any of the people on Earth, do you…" She says.

"Nope. Never have, never will. I have never liked people there. Only tolerated them. And some, I can tolerate more than others. Those are who my family considered my 'friends.'" I continue.

"It makes sense as to why you wouldn't like anyone from Earth." She agrees with me.

"I think that's it for today. The next time we have some extra time together, I'll explain to you how the Guardians chose who to rule their lands and a bit more about them in general. Feel a little like school yet?" She says afterwards.

"Not really. But I think that's because I'm actually interested in what I'm learning. History is my least favorite subject, but here I actually like it. Even if I already know everything you're saying." I answer.

"Well, what I'm going to be telling you next time is something that there's no way for you to have known, so you're going to be learning something new." She finishes.

After we're done, I lay back down on the bed Mew made for me, and fall asleep. Which, in reality, is me waking up. Weird how things work out like that.

* * *

The first thing I see when I wake up is white. White, plain, and sterile. I think I'm either in a hospital or Pokémon Center. But… why would I be in a Pokémon Center when I'm not a Pokémon? There's also the fact that I never saw a hospital in Vermillion City… Yeah. I have no clue where I am.

I give a slight groan, and hear someone get up across the room. They make their way over to me, and I can immediately see that it's a Nurse Joy. Looks like I _am _in a Pokémon Center. I don't question it, however. I'm just glad that I'm in a place with trained medical staff; even if they are for Pokémon.

"Looks like you're doing better. But, of course you would be. Your friend's been looking after you ever since he brought you in. We had to force him out, or else he would've been here all night." She explains to me.

"So, your friend told me the gist of what happened, but I'd like to hear your story." She continues.

"Well, there's not much to say… if Red was able to get me here, then he must've been awake more than me. He probably knows more about what happened than I do." I tell her.

"Yes, but it'd still be nice to hear your side." She continues asking.

"Alright then… All that I can really tell you is that we snuck on board the St. Anne, Lt. Surge found us, we battled him, Red created enough of a distraction for us to escape, we ran up to the top deck, Lt. Surge trapped us, he took our Pokémon, threw them overboard, and then had Electabuzz thunder us. The shock threw us overboard as well. After that… I can't remember. I was unconscious." I explain everything to her. Red probably did the same, and even if he had left out the part about _why _we were there, the police had caught the crew members and were taking them in. How did I know this? I could see them right outside the building. That tells me one thing, at least. I wasn't out for too long; maybe a day, at the most.

"So… where's Red now? I don't want him to be worried anymore…" I tell Nurse Joy.

"He's staying at the Pokémon Fan Club's headquarters. Why he's associated with those people, I'll never know. But, at least he's safe. And now, so are you. I think you're safe to go to him." I thank her for what she's done for me, and go.

Since I've only been to the Pokémon Fan Club's H.Q. once, I don't remember where it is. I seem to be lucky, because I find a town map not far from the Center. I make my way to the H.Q., and hesitantly walk in. I have no idea why I'm so nervous to go in, but I think it's because I'm scared of what Red'll do once he sees me. Not scared in a bad way, but… I don't want to see him break down in front of me, if he'll do that.

When I first walk in, no one's there except for the President; the old man we met yesterday. Was it really yesterday that we were attacked by Surge? It feels like it was such a long time ago.

"Ah, so you're up! I was wondering how long it'd take you to recover. I don't mean for it to sound mean, but I was really getting tired of your friend whining about you 24/7. It's good to have friends like that, but really! I couldn't sleep at all last night!" He says when he sees me.

"Umm… yeah… Do you know where Red is?" I ask.

"Why yes, I do. He's in his room sleeping. I think the events that transpired yesterday took a toll on both of you, and he's just fallen asleep. I don't think it'd be wise to wake him up just yet." He answers.

"Yeah… so, could I stay here? Just until he wakes up." I ask nervously.

"Sure. You can wait in his room, if you like." He offers.

"Thanks… I think I should be there when he wakes up. Just so he doesn't have to worry anymore." I thank him, just like I thanked Nurse Joy, and head up the stairs. There aren't that many rooms upstairs, so I'm able to find his room without much difficulty.

I walk into the room and see Red in his bed. He's tossing and turning all over the place, while mumbling words I can't understand. He must be more worried than I thought… And I can't stand to see him like this. I quickly exit the room and sit down next to the door. I think I'll wait out here until he wakes up…

* * *

I wait for a good several hours (Of course… it's sleep. Most people sleep for 6-9 hours. Me, I'm usually good on 4 or 5) until I hear a noise from the room. My heart skips a beat, and I'm suddenly nervous all over again. I don't know what to expect from Red when he sees me. I hear him get up from inside the room, and hear his footsteps get louder as he approaches the door. The moment he steps out into the hall his eyes look downwards and land on me. His expression at this point is priceless. It changes from drowsy, to shocked, to amazed, to confused, then to relieved, all in the span of a few seconds. He just stands there with his mouth wide open.

"Red… I'm fine. There's no need for you to worry anymore." I tell him, but I can't get it all in before he runs the rest of the way to me and embraces me. I can feel his body quivering as he holds me tightly. I can feel the tears run down his cheek. I… I can't stand it, so I begin crying too.

We both remain like this for a good five to ten minutes, maybe more, maybe less, I can't tell. Eventually he breaks the hug and starts to speak.

"Philippe… you don't know how much I was worried… I didn't know what had happened to you! I didn't know if you were safe, or if you were… I just didn't know… After Poliwhirl got us out, we finished up quickly with Surge. After that… it's all just a blur. All I can remember is me thinking that I had to get you to a doctor. A Pokémon Center was all that I could find, so that had to do. Nurse Joy took you, and… I couldn't leave! I had to be there to find out what had happened to you! You were unconscious, I know, but… that's _all _I knew! I didn't know what else had gone wrong! I would've stayed there with you until you had woken up, but Nurse Joy kicked me out! I… don't know… what I'd do… without you… You're my best friend, Philippe… my only friend, really…" Even though he had let go of the hug, he was still gripping my shoulders.

"You don't know how scared I was as well… I fell unconscious after you, so I was able to see you… Your face… It looked like you were… I just couldn't take it. From the shock of being thrown overboard, and the shock of seeing you… I just couldn't take it… Red… I didn't know what I would do without you. I _still _don't know what I'd do without you… Without you…" I say the same thing back to him.

I take a deep breath, and ask him a question I'm scared of what the answer will be:

"Red… How am I your only friend? You obviously must have others… I mean, you're you! What's there to not like?" I'm surprised that he's behaving like me towards this matter.

"Well, _because _of me, that's why… Not many people liked me back in Pallet Town. I don't know why… I was me, I tried to be friendly, but they always bullied me. My only friend at that time was Poliwrath, who was just a Poliwag. He always helped me get away… Heh, he evolved when they tossed me into the lake because he couldn't save me. I didn't know how to swim back then, and Poliwag wasn't strong enough to carry me. I guess that's what happened this time as well. He evolved because he wanted to save us…"

"Red… I will always be your best friend, no matter what happens." Me saying that tugs on a heart string, because… I don't want to be his best friend. I want to be more…

"Red… I… I…" I… can't. I can't tell him; not now. We're… too young, too… emotional. I don't think he'd know how to handle it… I just… wish… I could tell him.

"You what?" Red pushes on.

"I… don't know what I'd do without you…" I finish. I know I've said this multiple times, but… It's the truth. Just not the truth I wanted to tell him.

"So… what went on after Poliwhirl saved us? I was still unconscious, so I don't know how you stopped Surge." I try to change the subject.

"Well, I guess you already know that Poliwhirl evolved into Poliwrath, right? I don't know how, but it just did. He took both of us back to the side of the deck, and I woke up not long before he reached the ship. I climbed up myself, and he carried you. Once we got to the top, Poliwrath set you down and started to battle. Like you said, with Poliwrath being a water type and Electabuzz being an electric type, he has the advantage. Even with that disadvantage, Poliwrath was still able to win. I guess he was worried for both of us so much that it gave him the strength to do so. Anyways, after that, Lt. Surge ran off and left us there with his minions. By that time people on the docks saw what had happened and had called the police. The police arrived shortly after and arrested all of the crew members. They still can't find Surge… But I don't care! I'll find him myself if I have to! After what he did to us…" Red vows the last part. I'm feeling many things right now, and one of them is safety. I feel safer than I ever have before when I'm with Red and his Pokémon.

"Red… he's a criminal! You can't go after him yourself! Even with me we wouldn't be able to do it!" I try to get him to stop this nonsense, but he won't listen.

"No, Philippe. He almost killed you. He almost killed you, my best friend. I don't care what it takes. He _will _pay." Red states. He says it so matter-of-factly, that I'm scared of what will happen when Red _does _find Surge.

"Well, alright… But, Red. Can you promise me that you won't let this get in the way of what we've set out for? The PokéDex for Professor Oak and the Gym Badges! If we find him, we'll think of what to do then. But, for now… can we just not think about it?" I don't want him obsessing over it, but I know that he won't let it go that easily.

"Fine… So, Philippe, where do you think we should go next? If we're done here, where's the closest gym? Besides the Vermillion Gym…" Ah… that's right. Because of everything that's happened, I completely forgot that Surge is the leader of the Vermillion Gym. Since he's nowhere to be found, I guess that means Red can't face him in a gym battle.

"I don't know, Red… I guess we'll just have to set out and let fate take us where we need to go." I answer.

"Alright then. Let's go!" He's recovered so fast… Even though all these events keep happening, he springs back in no time. I wish I could be that resilient.


	14. The TriPoké Race

Author's Note:

Two things: One, for the money, it wouldn't let me use the Poké symbol, so I used $ instead. Two, I'm starting to think that I'm putting in too much of how I feel. For example, near the end of this chapter. I'd like people to tell me if they think that or not. Because if you do, I want to stop it. I'll just continue writing this way if no one complains.

Disclaimer:

I don't own Pokémon. Nintendo and Game Freak do.

* * *

"On your marks… Get set… Go!" The announce calls.

Red and I start peddling as hard as we can, and we're off.

We've both decided to take part in the Tri-Pokémon Race. It's basically a race in which you have to get to the end before all others. Isn't that how most races go? The difference between this race and other races, however, is that you're allowed to use Pokémon. The different obstacles throughout the race aren't ones you can get by without them. I only hope that Pikachu will be enough to do so.

"Philippe, how're you holding up?" Red calls from across the path. He sounds fine, but I'm already out of breath.

"In these kinds… of things… I can usually… keep up… I just need to… concentrate…" I manage to get most of it out without too much trouble, but I still have to take breaths in between.

"Don't worry! Just keep it up!" He tries encouraging me. It helps, knowing that someone believes in me.

We continue up ahead for a couple minutes, and we eventually see everyone else. Looks like we've finally caught up. Yay! But, why has everyone else stopped?

"Red, why do you think they're slowed down?" I ask.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Why don't we go check it out?" He suggests.

We both proceed slowly, and we're soon along-side everyone else.

"Whoa! Philippe, look at this!" Red exclaims. I see what he's talking about. It's a giant river in the middle of the path, with only a single, narrow bridge leading across.

"How do you think we're going to be able to get across? We can't just sit here all day and wait for everyone else to go first!" He complains.

"Well, didn't you hear from the announcer that we're able to use Pokémon in this race?" I ask.

"Yeah? What does that have to do with the bridge?" He questions.

"Don't you have a Pokémon that could help us across?" I'm trying to lead him to the right answer, but it's just so hard. I have to practically tell him the correct answer before he realizes what it is.

"You're right! Go, Poliwrath!" Red sends out Poliwrath, and quickly explains to him what needs to be done. Red's actually quite intelligent for being able to come up with this plan so quickly. All Poliwrath needs to do is simply use Ice Beam against the water and create an ice bridge for us. Hopefully it'll be solid enough that it won't crack under the weight of the bikes.

"Thanks, Poliwrath!" Red has Poliwrath return to his pokéball, and we continue on our way. Red goes across first and after that I follow.

We continue down the path for a little while longer, and soon we arrive at yet another obstacle. This time it's a giant forest that spans our entire vision. We can't see the end of it, both to the left and to the right.

"So, why are people going around it?" Red asks. One person who was behind us caught up due to our brief pause, and immediately turned left.

"Well, I think that's why." I answer and point to a Beedrill. That's not the only bug I see. I also see Butterfree, Caterpie, Weedle, Kakuna, Metapod, Venonat, Venomoth, and many others.

"Gah! There's so many bugs in there!" Red exclaims.

"Which is why you need bug spray!" A boy says to us. From his outfit, it'd be pretty safe to assume that he's a bug catcher. Shorts, straw hat, a giant net, and bug spray.

"Just wanna give you a heads up. Going around is your safest bet, but going directly through the forest is much quicker. That is, if you're able to deal with all the bugs." He explains.

"Of course I'm able to deal with the bugs! Bugs don't scare me!" But they scare Misty. Or is this Misty not scared of bugs?

Since I pretty much am forced to follow Red, I take his lead and go into the forest after him. At the beginning there's not much activity, but as we head in deeper we start to hear all the bugs and insects making their noise. The beating of wings is what we hear the most of.

"What was that kid scared of, anyways? This is nothing!" Red shouts. That is, until we run into actual bugs.

When we see our first Beedrill, Red still isn't scared. It's just minding its own business until Red races past it. The wind generated from the bike knocks Beedrill off balance, and that seems to anger it. I mean, who wouldn't be? The Beedrill starts making a strange noise, and soon there are over a dozen of them chasing us.

"R-Red! What do we do now?" I scream.

"I don't know! We have to get rid of them somehow!" He responds.

I know that in the past I've been good in stressful situations, but that's only because I wasn't the main character involved. Back inside the cave with Misty, Red was the one battling, so I was able to devote all my efforts into thinking of a plan. Now, I'm trying to peddle to save my life as well as trying to come up with a plan to get rid of the Beedrill. I'm terrible at multitasking.

Think… Think… Aha!

"Pikachu!" I send Pikachu out of his pokéball, and onto my lap.

"Use Shock Wave!" I command. Pikachu lets out a ball of electricity (That amazingly doesn't hit me), and it hits all the Beedrills at once. Since there are so many of them flying so closely together, the air itself was electrified and the electricity was able to easily flow to each and every one of them.

"Great thinking Philippe!" Red compliments. I'm starting to get used to them now, mainly because he's giving me the same exact compliment over and over again.

We continue down the path, again, and soon exit the forest entirely.

"Well, that was a bit of a scare, what with the Beedrill and all, but look at how far ahead we are of everyone else!" Red sure sounds excited. I guess I am as well. I mean, the prize is $10,000! What, did I forget to mention that?

We continue pedaling and soon make it to the Route 12 Fishing Pier. Since the span of the planks isn't that wide, it'd be easy for us to fall off if we're not careful, so we have to proceed with caution at this point. The corners don't help with speed either. We're having to stop and turn whenever we come to one, and that kills a lot of our time. Eventually we make it to the last obstacle: Snorlax.

"Philippe, aren't those two guys the same ones that we saw earlier?" Red asks. Yes, the two guys who are in front of us are the two guys who took the shortcuts before us: The Swimmer and the Bug Catcher. We didn't talk to the Swimmer at the bridge, but we saw him jump into the river on his Slowbro.

"Hey, why are you guys stopped?" Red calls out to them.

"We can't seem to find a way past this thing!" The Swimmer calls back.

"Gah! That's a huge boulder!" Red exclaims. Well, Red. If it were a boulder then we could have Poliwrath destroy it, now couldn't we? But that's not the case.

"Um… Red? I don't think that's a boulder…" I tell him.

"If it isn't a boulder then what is it?" Red asks me.

"Let me see if my suspicions are correct…" I mumble to myself as I walk up to the creature. I can't have them know that I already know for sure that it's a Snorlax. That'd seem like I was cheating and found out the course ahead of time. After I get to it, I give a little poke and it jiggles slightly.

"T-that's not a rock! Rocks don't move!" The Bug Catcher shouts.

"Yep. It's a Snorlax alright." I confirm.

"A Snorlax? But they sleep forever!" Red complains.

"Red, I read something about Snorlaxes. It sounds as if the only way to be able to wake one is if we're lucky enough to reach it when it's just waking up for food, or if we're able to wake it up with music. What kind of music, however, I have no idea…" I explain.

"How do we know if he's hungry or not?" The Bug Catcher asks.

"Well, we don't. Technically he's _always _hungry, but he only wakes up when he's hungry enough. We won't know until he does. So, I guess that leaves us with only one option: Music." I answer.

We all decide that we'll take turns singing to the Snorlax. I don't know about the other three, but I'm a terrible singer, so I know that I'm not going to be able to wake him. Unless Mew did something to my voice. Knowing her, she probably foresaw this and _did _do something to it.

Red's up first, and although he isn't the worst of singers, nothing happens. The Bug Catcher's up next, and since he's even younger than Red and I, his voice is even more underdeveloped. Nothing happens with his song either. Third is the Swimmer, and because he's a bit older than us he's hit puberty. His voice keeps cracking. It didn't work as well. So I guess it's up to me.

"Your turn, Philippe." Red tells me.

"Yeah… well… I can't really sing" I admit.

"So? Neither can any of us. Doesn't matter if you can't sing; Snorlax might like your voice and not your singing." The Swimmer says.

"Alright then…" Instead of singing, I try a different tactic. Since the Swimmer says he might like my voice instead of my singing, I decide to do something else. I start humming instead. The tune that I hum is a total mystery to me. It _is_ an actual tune. It sounds familiar, but… I just can't place my finger on it. It's comforting melody, quite like the one Mew hummed, but not exactly like it.

After a few seconds of it, Snorlax starts to rumble. Probably due to its stomach. It slowly gets up, and scratches its stomach.

"You did it! Snorlax woke up!" The Bug Catcher cheered.

"And I think it's hungry…" I gulp. Snorlax is looking around for food, and eventually its eyes land on Red and I.

"Red… I think we should go…" I warn him.

"Yeah… I think you're right!" Red yells. We both start peddaling around Snorlax and down the path. Snorlax starts picking up speed and is chasing after us. How a creature that large can run that fast, I have no idea. Many things in this world just make no sense whatsoever.

As we get closer to the finish line, we see the announcer saying something to the people, then pause. I guess he's seen Snorlax. We continue running past the finish line and try to outpedal Snorlax, but he seems to have his mind on other things. He sees the buffet that the sponsors have laid out and heads directly for it. He begins eating the food, and soon there's nothing left.

* * *

"Man, I can't believe it! $10,000 in prize money, gone!" Red's still complaining hours after the incident. Snorlax decided to eat all the food, and when I say all I mean _all_. And because there was enough for the entire audience and the competitors, there was enough for it to cost $10,000.

"Well, at least you have a new Pokémon. Heh…" I say nervously. Red's still ticked at not getting the prize money, but we can't change anything about that now, can we?

"Yeah, but the Pokémon ate all of the money we earned!" He continues to complain.

"Red, can you please stop it? We were doing fine without any money, and we'll continue doing fine. We were making do with the money you gained from your battles." I tell him. Before, we were getting a little bit of money from the wins that he was having, and that gave us everything we needed.

"I guess you're right… It's just, it'd be cool to have $10,000!" Red tells me after calming down.

"Yeah. The only problem is, what would we do with all that money?" I have no idea what I'd spend it on; I'd probably just save it forever.

"Well, we wouldn't need to spend it on anything immediately. We could just save it until we really needed it." Just how I was thinking. Although, we probably won't need it our entire journey.

"How about we finish the food that we bought for Snorlax? We can't take it with us to the next town; it'd spoil before we had a chance to eat it." I suggested. We had bought Snorlax not only Pokémon, but human food as well. He'll eat anything and everything!

"Alright. I'm kinda hungry from the race anyways!" Red says. He begins to eat, and I just watch him. I'm not really hungry right now, so I leave my food alone.

"Philippe, why aren't you eating?" Red asks between bites.

"I'm not really hungry… Just tired." I explain.

"Ah. So, how about we just talk?" He asks.

"Yeah… Red… I know you probably won't want to answer this, but… I can't get what happened out of my head…" I say softly. I don't want to talk about it, but I know that if I don't nothing good will come out of it.

"You mean what happened on the ship? Philippe, it's done and over with. There's no need to be thinking about it now!" Red says.

"Yes, I know, but… I can't forget about it. I almost lost you!" I say that last part a bit louder than I meant to, but I need him to know how I felt. Even if it means repeating the same thing over and over again.

I get up and start pacing. I always pace when I'm nervous or uncomfortable.

"And I almost lost you, Philippe, but I didn't. And you didn't lose me either. I'm still here, aren't I?" He tries to comfort me.

"Yes, but…" I start to say.

"But nothing. Philippe, come here." Red gets up, walks towards me, and embraces me once more.

"Nothing will happen, Philippe. Believe me… I won't let it."

* * *

That night, I have another dream with Mew.

"So, it looks like you and Red are doing just fine now." She says. I give a little blush, but I always do whenever she talks about us like that.

"Yes, we are. I'm just thinking… aren't things moving a bit too fast? I mean, he's 11 and I'm 10. And he's already starting to act like…" I start.

"Like a boyfriend?" She finishes.

"Yeah… It's not that I don't like it, it's just… it feels a bit strange." I confess to her.

"I don't exactly know how you feel, but I understand where you're coming from. You feel like since he's 11, and mentally 11, he won't understand these feelings completely, correct? Well, you're wrong. Philippe. Red's more mature than you give him credit for." Mew explains. Wait a second…

"Mew, what do you mean by 'these feelings?' What feelings does Red have?" I ask. Is she trying to hint towards something, or…

"Philippe, I don't mean that he likes you or loves you. He may or may not. I'm just saying, he knows that you're hurt, and he knows that you're scared. He doesn't need to talk them out with someone else because he has his own way of dealing with things. But he knows how you feel, so he's trying the best he can to help you." She explains further.

"Alright. And, Mew? I have another question." I say.

"Ask away." She replies.

"Is what I've been doing, what I've been acting like… annoying Red? Back home, I know that what I did annoyed people, but it's not my fault! That's just how I am! That's one of the reasons why I never had many friends. Everyone thought I was annoying… but if they can't accept me for who I am, then why should I like them? Anyways, back on topic… is Red like that? Does he find me annoying, but… just doesn't show it? Am I just a bother to him?" I ask. It's truly what I fear. That Red's just lying to me, and is just "putting up with me."

"Philippe… Now I'm getting annoyed by you. You don't honestly think that Red feels that way. I know you don't. You have fears that don't need to be there. You've seen how Red's acted. After what happened with Surge, you saw how Red was. That was not fake. He really cares." She answers.

"Yes… I'm always worrying about things I don't need to be, but I can't help it! I'm always fearing that the worst will happen because it usually does!" I scream at her.

"That was you on Earth. Philippe, here, you're an entirely different person now. Everything's changed." She continues.

"If that's true, then I'm happy. I just don't want things to go how they've gone in the past." I tell her.

"Philippe, just go with what your heart tells you. Don't second guess, don't doubt. Just believe your instincts." She says.

"Alright. Now, one more question. Sorry if it sounds a lot like the rest. Am I a crybaby?" I ask bluntly.

"A crybaby? What do you mean?" She asks.

"I mean, I've been crying at the littlest of everything. Every single time something doesn't go the way it's supposed to, I cry. In the cave, I cried. On the ship, I cried. I cried tonight even." I explain.

"I guess I should be the one apologizing for that. You see… since I turned you into someone younger than you were, it's changed some things with your personality. No, you're still you; it hasn't changed you that much. But, you're more emotional now than before. That's not the only thing that's changed, either. Philippe, I've been doing a little more studying about you and your body, and I think I should warn you of things that might occur." She begins to explain.

"Things like what?" I ask.

"I think the main thing that I should warn you about relates to your emotions. It hasn't happened yet, but if your emotions get too high, then you might change ages again… Like, for example, if you feel enough love for Red, then you might revert back to your own age because that's when you first had that feeling towards him. If you feel scared and in need of protection, you might turn even younger than you are, like a small child. That's something that I haven't been able to fix yet." She finishes explaining.

"Wait… you mean if I were to have something traumatic happen, my age could revert back?" This is_ not _what I had planned for.

"Well, you've already had traumatic things happen to you. But, yes, if more happen and your emotions are that strong, then you could. I'll be working on getting that fixed. In the meantime, try not to worry about it, ok?" She asks.

"I'll try, but it'll be hard not to worry about me changing from 10 to 16 in the blink of an eye!" I tell her.

"It wouldn't happen that quickly. You'd have some warning beforehand, so you could go somewhere out of sight. If it were to happen, I'd be there immediately to give a quick fix. Does that take some of the worry away?" She asks.

"Yeah… a little bit." I respond.

"I think that's enough for tonight. Heh… Philippe, I don't know about you, but I'm starting to feel a little like a therapist. You come to me with your problems and worries, and I help you through them." She comments.

"Yeah. It feels a little like that to me as well." I agree.

"Anyways, you have a big day ahead of you! I think you should get some rest now. Just go to bed, and let me take care of everything." I close my eyes and fall back asleep.


	15. Lavender Tower

Author's Note:

This is another chapter that I've decided to combine two together for. Also, please tell me if I'm getting any of my facts wrong; I'd like to correct them soon, just so they don't keep building on top of one another. Same thing goes for my grammatical errors.

Disclaimer:

I don't own Pokémon. Nintendo and Game Freak have that honor.

* * *

Wake up. Get dressed. Wait for Red. It's the same thing every morning. After the race, we had gone back to Vermillion and taken a spot at the Pokémon Center for the night. Then, I had my dream with Mew. I've been up for a while, but Red's still sound asleep. I guess I should take some time to read some of the books I've collected. How I've collected them, I won't say.

I open the first book and start reading. What the majority of it is, is just facts on Pokémon. Their habitats, their moves, their evolutions, how to train them, basic information. When I get to one particular Pokémon, however, that's when I become interested.

I finally make it to #104: Cubone. I've always followed the theory back on Earth that a Cubone is a baby Kangaskhan, like I've stated earlier. This book says that Cubones are a mysterious creature, and very little is known about them. It says that no one knows where a Cubone comes from, and that no one has ever seen the birth of one before. So, the theory back on Earth actually might be true.

By this time Red's woken up and is getting ready to start the day. I continue reading and try not to bother him. After a couple minutes he's ready to go and we both head out. This time, since we don't have to race against other people, we take our time going the same path that we took during the race. We make it to the bridge, and it's much simpler crossing over because there aren't dozens of people on bikes trying to cross it. For the forest, the Beedrill aren't occupying the area that we had passed through yesterday, so it's also much easier. And finally, we come to the pier. This part, like the other two, is easier because Snorlax isn't in the way.

We pass by the area that was the finish line and continue on. There wasn't much to do but walk, so we begin talking.

"Philippe, what do you think the next town's going to be like? We've been to a Rock city, a Water city, an Electric city; what's the next one gonna be?" Red asks.

"I don't know… What do you want it to be?" I counter.

"I have no idea. Well, with Bulbasaur being grass, Poliwrath being water and fighting, and Snorlax being normal, I guess it'd have to be something all three of them can handle." He answers.

"If you're talking about a gym, what if there's not one there? Viridian City had a gym, but no one was inside. We might come to another one like that." I tell him.

"Well, if we do, then I guess it'll just be another area to train in! Pikachu seems like he's gotten much stronger than before; I just wish I knew when he'd evolve! Same thing with Bulbasaur." Red exclaims.

"Red, from what I've read, Pikachu only evolves once given a ThunderStone. There are multiple kinds of these 'Stones,' each one having their own special properties. That brings up another topic I've been wanting to ask. Do you know exactly how Poliwhirl evolved?" I ask. I just want to see if he knows that Poliwhirl can only evolve with a WaterStone.

"Like I said, we both fell unconscious, I woke up, and Poliwhirl had already evolved into a Poliwrath. I don't know exactly how it happened, but it happened." He explains.

"Because, from what I've read, Poliwhirl also needs one of these 'Stones' to evolve; a WaterStone, to be exact. Maybe there was one in the water?" I suggest.

"Maybe, if that's the case. Anyways, doesn't really matter now. Poliwhirl's evolved, and that's all that matters." He states.

"Yeah. I guess you're right." I agree.

We continue walking in silence for a while longer, and soon it begins to rain. Actually, rain is an understatement. It begins to _pour. _Since we don't have an umbrella, we run the rest of the way. We're soaking wet by the time we reach the next town, and I'm not sure where I'd rather be. Back on the road, soaking wet, or potentially dry in Lavender Town.

"Philippe, we have to find someplace where we can stay!" Red tells me.

"Yeah! Let's ask one of these people where the Pokémon Center is!" I say.

"Miss! Excuse me, Miss!" Red calls out to one woman he sees. She completely ignores us and walks on by.

"How rude! Hey, Sir!" Red calls out to a man, and he does the same exact thing.

"Why does no one listen to me? They're all ignoring us!" Red complains.

"Red, how about we both split up and try to find shelter? It wouldn't do good if we're both sick from the cold and rain! There'll be a better chance of one of us finding shelter if we both ask different people! We'll both meet back here after the storm stops, ok?" I suggest.

"Sure! Just don't forget about me!" He calls over shoulder as he runs in a random direction.

This is the first time that I've been purposefully alone, and it's in Lavender Town. Great. Why it had to be here, I don't know. But, for some reason… the town gives me a sense of peace. Normally people are completely scared of this town and what mysteries it holds, which I think is why the inhabitants were minding their own business, but still… even with the rain, it makes me feel at peace.

I continue walking, searching for a place to wait out the rain. When I don't find anywhere immediately, I continue walking around in hopes that someone will be kind enough to offer me shelter.

I wander around so much that I eventually make it to a part of the town that I never knew existed. It's a dark alley, behind the Pokémon Tower. Of course. I try to find my way out of the twisting paths, but to no avail. I decide to sit down and think of a plan on how to get out of here; walking around without a plan isn't going to do me any good. I just keep ending up at the same spot over and over again. I know it's the same spot because of the markings on the wall.

After sitting for a couple of minutes, I still haven't thought of anything. I begin to get up, and swear that I can see something out of the corner of my eye. It's not like those times where you think you see something, and when you look back it's gone. No, this time, when I look back, it's still there. It's a shadow, and it doesn't seem to be coming from anywhere; there's nothing here to make any shadows besides myself, and even then the storm clouds would block any sun. The shadow remains there, and for some reason I'm compelled to walk over to it. As soon as I get close enough to step on it, it moves. I continue walking towards it, and the same thing happens. Whenever I get close, it moves a bit more. I think it wants me to follow it.

And follow I do. Soon after I begin following the shadow, I make it out of the alley and back out at the front of the Pokémon Tower. But the shadow doesn't stop there. The shadow continues moving up the steps to the Pokémon Tower, and stops. Does it really think that I want to go in? Doesn't seem like it cares about my opinion, because it stays there, waiting. I decide that the Pokémon Tower is my best bet at staying dry, and remember that I'd need to go inside eventually, and follow it inside.

* * *

The Pokémon Tower isn't anything you'd expect it to be. From what the game shows, it's just several stories of square rooms, each with a set of stairs in one corner leading to the next floor. No… the actual Pokémon Tower is much grander than that. This Pokémon Tower… is hauntingly beautiful. As soon as I step in, I can feel air rush by. I take a look around, and see that everything is covered in dust, like no one's been here for decades. This first floor of the tower looks more like a mansion than a tower. It has a grand staircase in the center, and at the top has two smaller staircases leading both to the left and to the right. Back on the ground, there are graves and tombstones laid about. Some are in perfect condition, some are broken beyond repair. However, even the ones that are still in mint condition are covered with a layer of dust. On the ceiling are many chandeliers that seem like they could come alive at any moment.

The shadow continues up the staircase, and I follow. When I take the first step, the stairs creak and it feels as if the entire town can hear it. I climb the rest of the way and take a right turn, same as the shadow.

After reaching the second floor, I find out that it's much like the first. It has another set of stairs in the center, but these are smaller than the ones that I just walked up. It's a much smaller room, but still contains multiple tombs and graves. Some of the graves even have statues of the Pokémon that were buried there. I see a Charmander, a Nidoran, a Butterfree, an Oddish… many Pokémon whose lives were ended for one reason or another. I expect that the shadow will stop by one of these tombs, but it doesn't. No, it continues to the next set of stairs and waits. It wants me to continue climbing up the tower. I do as it wants, and start climbing the next set.

The third floor is much spookier than the previous two. This room is, again, littered with the bodies of dead Pokémon. What's different about this floor, however, is that there are no tombs. No, the bodies of the dead Pokémon are out in the open, on the floor. Some are completely bones, while some still have flesh. I think to myself, "What kind of people would just leave their Pokémon here?" Why would they just toss the body? Couldn't they have given the Pokémon a decent burial, like the ones on the lower floors? Now I think that the shadow's going to appear before one of the bodies and ask for revenge, but that's not the case either. It just continues on to the third staircase, and waits once more. Now I'm starting to think that it wants me to go all the way to the very top floor.

And that's precisely what it wants. It continues leading me through floor after floor, each being worse than the last. The bodies of the Pokémon are in worse condition, the state of the tower itself even seems to be deteriorating the higher I climb. I'm scared of what the top floor will look like.

I make it to the top floor, and… I can't even begin describing it. As soon as I walk through the door at the top of the steps… the scene… is too horrifying to describe. But I will anyways. What I see… is the body of a dead Pokémon. I've seen the bodies of dead Pokémon on the previous floors, but… this one had died previously. "Died" seems to be too light of a word… murdered seems to be a more accurate term. There was blood all over the walls, all over the floor, and all over the bones of the Pokémon. The body still had flesh covering the bones, but everything was so mangled that I couldn't tell which Pokémon it was. It made me feel sick, like I wanted to throw up. The shadow didn't stop, and continued moving through the room. The shadow eventually stopped in the center of the bones, and stayed still. I think that's where it wants me to go. I think that's what it's trying to show me.

I make my way across the room and reach the torn flesh and bones. What I see here… is something I will never forget. I know I can't forget it. It's just… too… terrible. What I see… is a baby Cubone, sitting in the middle of the pile of bones, crying. It didn't start crying until I approached it. It's holding one of the bones from the pile around it, with a skull on its head, like most Cubone. I'm positive that this pile of bones is his mother, due to the fact that I can't find a skull anywhere in the pile. The shadow surrounds the Cubone, and he immediately stops crying. I think I know what this shadow is now… It's not a shadow at all, but a Ghost. It's the Ghost of the Mother that was killed in Pokémon Tower.

It all clicks. The reason why the Ghost brought me here. The reason why the Mother of the Cubone brought me here. I think… she wants me to take care of him. She's dead, but her baby's alive. There's no one to be able to take care of her baby, so she came to me. She wants me… to make sure her baby survives.

"Mother… is this what you want? Do you want me to take Cubone with me? Do you want me… to take care of him?" I ask. For some reason, I don't feel foolish speaking to thin air. Because I know that she's with us.

Because she's a Ghost, she can't respond, but I know that she's heard me. I feel the same breeze that I felt when I first entered the Tower, and feel much calmer than I did when I first saw Cubone. I bend down, pick Cubone up, and hold him to my chest.

"Cubone… your mother loves you very much. She knows that she can't take care of you anymore, so she came to me to take care of you. She brought me here, knowing that I might have rejected. She knows that I might have completely ignored her, like most other people in this town have been ignoring me. Cubone… I promise you, I will take care of you. I promise… that I will find whoever did this. I know that this wasn't an acceident… Cubone, I will find the people who killed your mother. But, until that day… I'll take care of you." I say to the Cubone. I never thought how emotional having a Cubone could be. I saw the trainer back in Pewter with a Marowak and thought nothing of it. Now I realize… that that Marowak was once a Cubone. And that Cubone once had to go through all of what this Cubone's going through. The loss of their mothers…

I take out a spare pokéball from my belt, and open it up.

"Cubone, if I'm to take care of you, you're going to have to go into this ball. Is that ok?" I ask it gently.

The Cubone looks up at me, and begins crying even harder

"I guess it's not going to be that easy..." I say to myself.

I decide that now's not the best time to try again, so I put the pokéball back where it came from and carry Cubone.

* * *

By the time I make it to the fourth floor (The entire Pokémon Tower has seven floors in total), I hear a scream. The voice that produced the scream sounded like Red, so I begin running. I make sure not to run too fast, or else I'd put Cubone in danger.

I make it down the steps without too much difficulty, and see both Red and Green. I guess this is the point where Red finds out Green's being possessed by a Gastly. And then I remember: Gastly's my favorite Pokémon! I guess I might end up with two Pokémon today.

"Philippe!" Red calls over to me.

"Yeah, Red?" I call back.

"What are you doing here? And what's that in your arms?" He asks.

"Forget about me! Pay attention to Green!" I tell him. Green's Charmeleon begins to run towards him, and he quickly sends out Bulbasaur. Again, grass versus fire. Why does he choose the wrong type matchup? Poliwrath would've been much better suited.

"Bulbasaur, Leech Seed!" Bulbasaur shoots the seeds out towards Charmeleon, but he easily gets rid of them by blowing a bit of fire from his mouth. Charmeleon continues running and makes it to Bulbasaur, and attacks with a slash.

"Gah! Bulbasaur!" Red cries out.

"Red, I think the best course to take right now is to take down what's controlling Green and his Pokémon instead of taking down Green himself!" I explain.

"You're right! But… what kind of Pokémon would be able to control Green?" He asks.

"How are you sure it's a Pokémon? Anyways, if it was, then the only Pokémon that I know of that's able to control other beings are ones from the Gastly family." I tell him.

"You're right! How can we fight both of them at once?" He asks.

"I take care of one, you take care of the other?" I suggest.

"Oh… right. Bulbasaur, return!" Red returns Bulbasaur and sends out Poliwrath.

"Poliwrath, use Water Gun!" Poliwrath sends out a water gun and it hits Charmeleon directly in the chest. Now that Charmeleon's being taken care of, I send out Pikachu and start on trying to find where Gastly is.

"Pikachu, look for any strange movements in the air." I command. I really can't be looking out for Gastly since I still have Cubone to tend to.

Pikachu starts looking around, and eventually makes a small noise. I look towards where he's looking, and see a disturbance in the air. It looks wavy, like when heat rises.

"That must be it. Pikachu, Shock Wave!" Pikachu sends out a ball of electricity towards the air, but when it gets there the disturbance just moves out to avoid it, then comes back together. After that, Gastly decides to show up and appears visible.

"Pikachu, now we know where he is. Thunder Wave!" Pikachu sends an electric wave towards Gastly and somehow it hits. Gastly stumbles a bit, but recovers. It begins to charge a Shadow Ball, and launches it straight at Pikachu. Huh, I didn't think Gastly learned it so soon. Pikachu tries to dodge it, but the ball ends up hitting his tail. He then cries out a little, but soon rights himself.

"Try another Shock Wave!" Pikachu sends another ball of electricity, and this time, since Gastly's face is visible, it hits. Gastly wobbles a little, and this time is paralyzed even further.

"Great. Pikachu, try Thunderbolt this time." Pikachu sends a short bolt of electricity towards Gastly, and just like the previous one it hits. I wonder when Pokémon battles will become tougher. I guess it's supposed to be easy for now; it is a _wild _battle, after all.

"Now, let's see if I can do this on my own this time. Go, Pokéball!" I send a pokéball towards Gastly (With the arm that's not holding Cubone), and he gets absorbed by the red light. The ball shakes for a few seconds on the ground, and soon stops. I walk over to pick up the ball, and hear a huge crash from the other side of the room.

"Oopsies…" Red says, nervously. Poliwrath had driven a punch through the wall, completely destroying a section of it.

"Really, Red? You couldn't have been more careful?" I scold while picking up the pokéball.

"Well, you had it easy! You had a wild Pokémon while I had Green's Charmeleon!" He states.

"Anyways, looks like it's over now. Gastly's caught, and Green seems to be coming to his senses." I point out. Red notices it as well, and starts to head over to Green.

"Ngh…" Green groans, and starts to sit up. I walk over to him and offer help, but he swats my hand away.

"Well, excuse me for saving your life." I say, annoyed. Seriously; I just saved his life, and he couldn't be a little bit more grateful?

"…Thanks, I guess." He grumbles.

"So, now that everyone's safe, how about we get out of this tower?" I suggest. I'm pretty sure it was on everyone's mind, but I have to make sure.

"You two go on ahead. I'll stay to find out who did this to me…" Green mumbles to himself.

"But, Green! You don't honestly think you can take on whoever did this to you yourself?" I ask.

"It doesn't matter. He's the one who did this to me, and I'm going to make him pay!" Green shouts. He stomps away and up the stairs.

"Do you want to follow him, Red?" I turn towards him and ask.

"Yeah! If anyone's going to beat Green, it's going to be me! Not just some random punk!" Red agrees, and we follow after Green.

* * *

"I told you two to get lost!" Green shouts after we've caught up with him. He walks _fast._

"We're not going to leave you here to get beaten!" Red exclaims.

"I'm just curious as to who could control a Pokémon to control another being." I tell him.

"Fine! Only if you don't get in my way…" He knows that we're not going to leave, so he gives in.

We continue up a ways, and eventually are forced to stop.

"Ewwwww… what is that stuff?" Red asks, disgusted.

Before any of us can answer him, a glob of whatever's on the ground comes shooting towards us from nowhere.

Green pulls on Red and yanks him towards one direction while I head in the other. All three of us narrowly miss the shot.

"If you aren't careful, that's going to hit you!" Green shouts.

"Hm… So it's you!" A voice comes out of the darkness. It sounds masculine with a hint of ninja-ness… Yep. It's Koga.

"You're the one from Mt. Moon!" Red exclaims.

"Yes, yes I am! And you two are the ones who foiled my plan! You don't know how much trouble I was in with the other Team Rocket Elites!" He shouts. I guess he's blaming us for what Giovanni had done to him. What exactly, I'm not sure.

"What? 'Team Rocket Elite?' Like Team Rocket would have an Elite anything!" Red taunts.

"Well, I'm sure you'll meet more of us soon! Right now, I'd suggest you leave. This site _is _the location of our base, after all." Koga explains.

"Your base? Why would you choose this tower as a base?" Red asks, confused.

"Don't you see? It's perfect! The townsfolk would blame the Ghosts if anything strange happened!" Koga explains. It makes sense, although I still don't agree with it.

"Stop your talking! Charmeleon, Flamethrower!" Charmeleon launches a blast of fire towards Koga, but it completely misses him. And by misses him, I mean goes right through him.

"W-what?" Green stutters.

"It was a projection all along!" I shout.

"Yes it was! And now, you're all going to die!" Koga shouts (Are all Team Rocket Elites going to shout every time they speak?). An Arbok comes out from behind where the projection was (It disappeared along with the flames, but we can still hear the voice), and shoots another glob of poison at us.

"Follow me if you want to live!" Green shouts at us. We take his lead, and start running back down the stairs.

After a little while of running away, we make it back down to the second floor, and Arbok's caught up with us by this point. Green turns back and faces him.

"Charmeleon, Reflect!" Charmeleon creates a transparent shield (Didn't know he could learn that), and Arbok slams right into it.

"If he's controlling his Pokémon from a distance, then he doesn't have much control over what they can and can't do." He explains.

"Well, even so, Reflect can't stay up forever! Arbok, use Acid!" Arbok sends out another glob of acid and it lands directly on the shield. After a few seconds, it begins to burn a hole through the shield and lands onto the Pokémon underneath.

Green seems to have thought ahead, because it wasn't Charmeleon who was melted because of the poison, but one of the skeletons that Koga had been controlling.

"How is that possible?" Koga shouts, enraged.

"Well, if you were _here _then you would've been able to see Charmeleon move from under the Reflect." Green explains.

And here comes the gruesome part. Since Arbok was spitting the acid in Charmeleon's diection, the force of the spit threw Arbok towards the shield. When Arbok reached the shield, the hole had already been burnt through it and Arbok went straight through, being cut by the edges. If that wasn't bad enough already, Arbok then landed in the puddle of acid that had pooled around the skeleton. Arbok was being melted alive by the stuff.

"Well, that's something I hope I'll never have to see again." I say to myself.

Koga seems to have left after seeing that he lost the fight, because we hear no more from him. All three of us have nothing left to say, so we continue on out of the tower.

* * *

We make it out of the tower fairly quickly, and immediately after exiting we're met by an old man.

"Thank you Red! And you too, Green!" The old man says as he shakes their hands. He turns to me and asks:

"And who might you be?"

"Oh… I'm Red's friend. I just… decided to split up during the storm. Red found me not too long after, though." I explain.

"That's fine then—Wait, what do you have in your arms?" He asks, suddenly even more confused.

"Oh, this? Well… it's a Pokémon I found in the tower." I stop there, not wanting to relive what I had seen on the top floor.

"And it was alive? How perculiar…" He says to himself.

"Anyways, thank you for getting rid of whatever it was that was terrorizing the townsfolk! They said not too long ago the moaning and groaning stopped." He thanks us again.

"If you need a place to stay, you can stay at my house for the night." He offers. During the time we were in the tower, it had gotten to be nighttime.

"I think we'll accept that offer. Right, Philippe?" Red asks. I agree, and Red leads me to his house.

"I'll be on my way." Green announces, and heads of who knows where.

We both make it to the man's house (Red told me his name's Mr. Fuji) and both lay down on the mats he left out for us. I guess people here are much more trustworthy than they are back home. I quickly fall asleep with Cubone still in my arms.


	16. Enter Blue

Author's Note:

If any of you have been reading the reviews, then you must have seen the issue. Well, I've gotten the thing about self-inesrts not being allowed squared away, so that's fine. Also, what Peter's said gives me a better way of asking this: Do you think my writing's too melodramatic? That's basically what I meant by writing too much about my emotions and how I'm feeling. I _do_ read all reviews I get, by the way. I just don't respond to them if there's no problem. If there's something I have to explain, then I do so in a PM. Just to make you all know that I don't ignore the reviews I'm getting.

Also, thanks to the last chapter I'm almost at 1500 hits! I never though that I'd get so many; even if some of them are just people reading the first chapter, then dropping it. If it weren't for the readers (Few as it is), I probably never would've continued. Well, I would've continued writing, just not posting. Again, thanks!

Disclaimer:

I don't own Pokémon. Nintendo and Game Freak do. I'm starting to wonder if I really have to put this here every chapter.

* * *

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" I shout as Poliwrath comes charging towards him.

Red and I have decided to battle each other for training instead of wild Pokémon. Battling trainer's Pokémon and battling wild Pokémon are two completely different things.

"Poliwrath, Doubleslap!" Red commands. Poliwrath had dodged the Thunderbolt from earlier and begins to slap him repeatedly. If it wasn't my Pokémon being attacked, I would've found it quite amusing to watch.

"Pikachu, stop him with Thunder Wave!" Pikachu lets out some static from its cheeks that hit, but Poliwrath quickly shakes it off and continues slapping. Eventually, enough of this slapping causes Pikachu to faint.

"Pikachu!" I shout as I run up to him.

"Well, that was a good try. I really think if Pikachu was evolved he could've won!" Red says.

"Yeah… but I don't think I want to evolve him. For now, at least." I tell him.

"Whatever suits you, I guess. When are you going to start training your Cubone?" He asks. I still haven't told him exactly how I found Cubone in the Tower, so he thinks that he's just another Pokémon that I fought and caught.

"He's still a baby, so I think I'll do that once he's gotten used to me." I explain.

"Alright. How about Gastly then?" He suggests. I've had Gastly for a couple days now, and have won multiple battles with him. Shadow Ball has always been my favorite attack out of any, and it seems to be able to knock out most of what it comes in contact with.

"I guess so. Pikachu, return! And out you come, Gastly!" I still don't know why I'm saying these things. Things like, "Go, Pikachu!" and "Gastly, return!" I guess I'm just getting used to hearing everyone else saying it all the time, so I am as well.

"And I'll use Bulbasaur!" Red sends out Bulbasaur and we begin the battle.

"Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!" Red commands.

"Gastly, disappear!" Gastly vanishes into thin air and the leaves go right past where he previously was. Because this is real life, and not just a video game, I can have my Pokémon do so much more that wasn't possible before. Things that you only saw in the T.V. show, and things that you could only imagine.

"Bulbasaur, watch out for any attacks!" Red warns Bulbasaur.

"Wait for it…" I say to myself.

"Just what are you planning on doing now?" Red asks.

"Now!" Gastly reappears behind Bulbasaur and sends a Shadow Ball straight into him. The ball is a direct hit and explodes all over Bulbasaur's back, covering him in Shadows.

"Bulbasaur! Get up and use Vine Whip!" Bulbasaur sends out his whips again and begins thrashing them towards Gastly, but Gastly once again disappears into thin air.

"Come on! Stop doing that!" Red whines.

"Isn't this why I told you I love Ghost Pokémon? Gastly, finish the job with a Lick!" Gastly reappears once more, sticks out its tongue, and gives Bulbasaur a huge lick. The lick stuns Bulbasaur, and not long after he falls to the ground.

"Looks like it's a tie then, huh? One to one." I say to Red.

"I guess so. Let's get our Pokémon healed and then continue on. We shouldn't be that far from the next town, and along with that, the next gym!" Red exclaims. Red was disappointed that there wasn't a gym in the last town, but he's still happy that I was able to get two new Pokémon.

We take out the potions and revives that we had bought from the store and heal our Pokémon to almost full health. We continue down the path and eventually stop when we see a Mankey blocking our path.

"Look! It's a wild Pokémon!" Red exclaims.

"Yes, I see it too. It's a Mankey, Red." I tell him.

"I'm gonna try to catch it then! I haven't gotten one of these yet!" Red sends out Bulbasaur again, and tries a sneak attack.

"Bulbausar, use Leech Seed!" Bulbsaur sends out seedlings that attach themselves to the Mankey, and they spread out all over his body. Since the Mankey wasn't aware of Bulbausar, he didn't have time to dodge them.

"Great! Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!" The two vines come out from Bulbasaur again, just like earlier, and start lashing out at the Mankey. Each time the vines hit you can hear a reverberating smack. I never thought of it before, but it must really hurt to be hit by one of those things.

Mankey's still stuck in place by the leech seed, and while the vines are sucking his health Bulbasaur's vines are slapping him repeatedly. After enough time of this going on the Mankey collapses, and Red throws a pokéball. What an anticlimactic catch.

"Yes! Now I have another one!" Red says excitedly.

While Red's admiring his new Pokémon, he completely forgets about Bulbasaur and what's now going on with him.

"Red, I think you should take a look at Bulbausar." I suggest.

"Why? What's going on?" He asks as he turns towards his Pokémon.

"No, seriously. What's going on?" He asks again.

"Bulbasaur's evolving, Red. This is the same thing that happened to Poliwag and Poliwhirl, but you were underwater both times so you couldn't see it." I explain.

"So, you mean Bulbasaur's going to look different afterwards?" He asks.

"Yes. Also, you won't be able to call him Bulbasaur anymore. Check the Pokédex to see what he'll be called after if you want to." I suggest.

After Bulbsaur stops glowing, that's exactly what Red does. He points the Pokédex towards the newly evolved Ivysaur, and it tells him that the name is… well, Ivysaur.

"So, you're Ivysaur now. Cool!" Red says enthusiastically.

We hear clapping from off in the distance, and immediately I know who it is. My favorite female character from the entire story.

"Congratulations! If you were able to both catch a new Pokémon and have an old one evolve at practically the same time, that must make you quite the trainer!" The girl compliments.

"Yeah. He's something alright." I say back to her. She gives me a quick look, and grins.

"At the beginning of your fight I didn't know what you were going to do! Sneaking up on the enemy like that, now that's something!" Yeah, something _you _would do.

"Awww, thanks!" Red says, blushing a little.

"Although, it might not be enough to beat the Celadon Gym…" She "mumbles" to herself.

"What do you mean, not enough to beat the Celadon Gym?" Red asks, confused.

"The Celadon Gym is probably the next one you're going to visit, right? You _are_ trying to collect all eight badges, aren't you? Anyways, the Celadon Gym is the closest to here, and I hear the leader's a pretty tough cookie!" She explains.

"Well, then I guess I have more training to do! Right, Philippe?" He says.

"Well, you _could _do that… or, you could buy some items to help speed up the process!" She says enthusiastically.

"What kind of 'items' do you mean?" Red asks, his confusion coming back once more.

"These items, silly!" The girl says as she takes out various items from her bag.

"They're all designed to help in the training process! This HP Up increases a Pokémon's max health… this Iron increases a Pokémon's Defense… and this Carbos increases a Pokémon's Speed! I have many more if you want to see them!" She explains.

"Well, I'm sure that they'd all help a great amount, but we don't have that much money on us. We're almost broke as it is!" Red explains.

"But… you really don't want to buy any of my items?" She says with a sad look on her face. She's really convincing; I think I'd be convinced if I didn't know her already.

"Well, I guess we could buy a couple…" Red gives in. Oh, Red. You gullible little boy.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She squeals with glee. She takes all of the items that Red's decided to buy, puts them in a little bag, and hands them to us while Red's giving her money in return.

"By the way… how old are you? You don't look to be much older than us." Red asks out of the blue. Heh… blue.

"I'm 11 years old." She replies.

"You're the same age as me, then!" Red responds.

"Oh? So, you two aren't the same age?" She asks.

"Nope. Philippe here's 10." Red answers.

"Oh… I see. So, when did you two meet?" She continues to ask.

"We met back in Pallet Town! Philippe said he didn't have a Pokémon, so I decided it was my job to catch him one!" Red states proudly.

"So, you two have been together for a while, huh?" She says, her grin coming back.

"Yeah! Philippe's my best friend!" He says, putting his arm around me again. I begin to blush, and Blue immediately takes notice of it.

"So… how close are you two?" She asks.

"Like I said, he's my best friend!" Red restates.

"Is that it?" Blue asks again.

"What more could there be?" Red asks, now confused. I'm blushing even more now, and Blue takes notice of that as well.

"Philippe? What do you think? Are you two just best friends?" She asks. My face is absolutely red now, and it's hard for me to answer.

"Well… there's something more I want… but that's not going to happen." I answer. Red just looks confused as ever.

"Ah!" She says with a girlish shriek.

"Now I _really _see what's going on here!" She continues.

"Well, I wish the best of luck for the both of you!" She says. Before turning around to go back to the city, she gives me a wink. I blush even more (If that's possible), then she's gone.

* * *

We continue in the same direction that the girl had gone in, and eventually Red stops again.

"Philippe, wanna have another battle?" Red asks.

"Sure; why?" I question.

"So I can try out these items that I bought from that girl!" Red exclaims. Man, I can't wait to see his face when he finds out…

"Alright then. Pikachu, it's your turn for another fight." I send out Pikachu, and Red decides to send out Ivysaur.

"Alright Ivysaur! Now to test out these items!" Red starts feeding Ivysaur the pills, as well as injecting him with the medicine (I really hope that it's just water she filled them with, and that the pills are just placebos) and is soon ready for the fight.

"Alright! Let's go, Ivysaur! Razor Leaf!" Ivysaur shoots out his leaves towards Pikachu, and Pikachu easily avoids them, just like he does all the time.

"Hm… Let's try something else. Ivysaur, Vine Whip!" This time the attack does hit, but it only does its normal amount of damage; not that much, considering Pikachu's moving around and not being hit by every single whack.

"What? Why are all of his attacks missing?" Red asks, confused.

"Well, Red. Don't you think that that girl could've scammed you?" I suggest.

"But she was so nice! She couldn't have scammed me!" Red defends her.

"Well, alright. Try one more attack, and if it doesn't look like it's been improved at all, then will you believe me?" I try to compromise.

"Fine… Ivysaur, charge up Solar Beam!" And of course he'd choose this attack.

I give Red and Ivysaur the time to charge up the attack, and as soon as Ivysaur's about to fire I have Pikachu move to the left to avoid it.

"Now do you see?" I repeat.

"But… why would she scam me?" Red asks.

"Well, that's some people's way of making money. By scamming. It's not the most honest of methods, but if it gets them easy money then they do it." I explain.

"Grrrr… Well, I'm not gonna sit here and be made a fool of! I'm going to find that girl and force her to give me my money back!" Red shouts as he begins running in the direction of the city.

"Red, at least have Ivysaur return to his pokéball!" I shout as Ivysaur's desperately trying to catch up with Red.

"Fine! Ivysaur, return!" Red returns Ivysaur and I return Pikachu, and we both continue to the city. It isn't that much further, so it only takes a couple of minutes.

As soon as we enter the city, we look around for a Pokémon Center. We find one, and I suggest to Red that we should call up Professor Oak and show him how Bulbasaur's evolved.

"So, how are you two doing?" Oak asks.

"Well, we're already in Celadon City! But that's not why I wanted to call you up. Take a look at this!" Red exclaims as he points to Ivysaur.

"Wow! So you've gotten Bulbasaur to evolve into Ivysaur, huh? It seems like just yesterday I was giving you Bulbasaur! How time flies… Green's also gotten Charmander to evolve into Charmeleon, but I guess you already know that from your last run-in with him. Now all that's left is Squirtle." He tells us.

"Squirtle? What's a Squirtle?" Red asks.

"He's the third of the trio of Pokémon that I had. First was Bulbasaur, the grass Pokémon. Then there was Charmander, the fire Pokémon. And lastly there's Squirtle, the water Pokémon." Oak explains.

"So there's three of us going on a journey to complete the Pokédex? What's the third trainer like?" Red asks, excited.

"Well, that's the point. I don't really know what the third trainer's like because the third trainer stole him!" Oak says. Red's completely shocked by this.

"Stolen? Who'd steal a Pokémon?" Red asks.

"I don't know! All I know is that someone took him!" Oak says.

"Gah! Why do there have to be so many bad people in the world?" Red says, frustrated.

"I don't know Red… I don't know. Anyways, enough of that. I think it's time for you and Philippe to get going! You do know there's a gym in Celadon City, right?" Oak asks.

"What? There is? Looks like she was telling the truth about that, at least. Come on then! We have to get going!" Red shouts as he practically runs out the door.

* * *

"Where could it be…" Red asks himself.

"Maybe if you actually stopped so I could read this map, we'd be able to find it much quicker than we would if we continued wandering around aimlessly." I say, half to myself and half to him.

"Fiiiiiiiine. Let's see that map." Red agrees, and comes back to me.

"So, looks like we're here, near the PokéMart. The Gym's here, almost halfway across the city. Looks like we've got a lot of walking ahead of us, don't we?" I say.

"Yeah, looks like we do. If the Gym's in that direction, let's go!" Red shouts as he turns around. Immediately after, however, he stops and gapes.

"What is it Red?" I ask.

"It's her! It's that girl from before!" He shouts, angrily this time.

And sure enough, it's her. The girl who conned Red earlier, who is still trying to con more passerbys.

"Hey! You there! I want my money back!" Red yells to her as he begins running. Not the best idea, Red.

"Oh no… I hate repeat customers!" She says to herself, loud enough for me to hear it, however, packs up and begins to run away.

We begin to chase her and it turns out that she's a pretty fast runner. We chase her throughout almost half the city before we finally catch up to her, and corner her between us and the pier.

"Well, it's been fun guys, but I really do have to be off!" She sends out Wartortle, hops on his shell, and speeds off. Really, how can you sit upright on a rounded shell?

She thinks highly of her cunning self and decides to surf along the docks. Not a smart idea, because Red actually has one of his own this time. He sends out Snorlax, and due to the aim he lands directly in front of her, blocking her path. Snorlax is large enough to be able to stand upright in the water without being completely submerged.

The girl bumps into Snorlax and is thrown back onto the pier. Red and I run over to her, and he starts yelling.

"Alright, I want to know why you scammed me of all my money! Those items didn't do shit!" Again, rare with the swearing (Yes, I consider that a swear), but when he does it's due to something serious.

"I… I didn't mean to scam you! I'm serious! I… I just don't have many friends, you see… And… I just really wanted to see you two again!" She pulls both of us in for a hug, and I know where her hand's going right now.

"Well, Philippe here has no friends either, and you don't see him stealing!" Red shouts, again.

"Ahem… and just who do you think _you_ are?" I say, annoyed. Does he forget that I'm right here?

"Oh… besides me, of course. But he never had any before that!" He continues.

"I'm not as strong as he is! Can you ever forgive me?" She begins tearing.

"Ah… well, I guess that's alright… As long as I get my money back." He sighs.

"Yes, yes, thank you. And now, for your payment… Ha!" She jumps back and has Wartortle send bubbles our way. Red's faster than me, so he gets out of the way before it hits. I, on the other hand, am directly hit with them, and I must say… Bubbles _sting._

"W-what? Where'd he go?" She asks, confused.

"Why don't you look behind you!" Red shouts. He's on-top of Snorlax now and laughing at her.

"You didn't seriously think you could fool me twice, now could you? Especially someone cunning enough to earn two badges!" You really shouldn't have given that fact away, Red.

"Snorlax, Mega Punch!" Snorlax slams the ground in front of him and creates a shockwave leading to the girl. The shockwaves knock her to the ground, and knock her out.

* * *

"Well, now that that's out of the way I think I'll be taking my money back." Red says to himself. He reaches into her pocket and takes out her purse.

"Hm… so, your name's Blue, huh? Well, Blue, you might've outsmarted me once, but you're not going to outsmart me twice!" He says. He takes out his money and leaves the purse besides her. He starts to walk away, and I can see the girl smirk.

"Oh! I almost forgot to record the data on that Pokémon she has! Let's see…" He takes out his Pokédex and points it toward Wartortle.

"So, looks like your name's Wartortle? Wait… Wartortle's the evolved form of Squirtle? That means that this girl's the thief that stole Professor Oak's Pokémon!" Red shouts, even more anger in his voice now.

"Yes Red, looks like she is. Let's just leave her with him for now, alright? He _is _her only Pokémon, and you know how your first Pokémon was, don't you?" I ask.

"Yeah… But, the next time we see her I'm taking back Oak's Pokémon!" He vows.

"Sure you are Red. Now, you can go on ahead. I just wanna stay here for a couple minutes to see if she wakes up." I tell him.

"Alright. Just don't be too long, ok?" He starts walking away, and when there's enough distance between us, I speak with Blue.

"Well, looks like you _have _outsmarted him twice, huh?" I say.

"…Huh? Where am I?" She fakes.

"Don't try that on me. I knew you were awake the entire time." I continue.

"Well, looks like someone's smart enough to see through my ruse. What are you still here for? Going to ask for the badges back?" She asks.

"No, no. Red's going to have to do that on his own. I just wanted to have a few words with you. Is that alright?" I say to her.

"Wait… you're not going to try to get back the badges? Don't you love him?" She asks. I blush at the part about me loving him, but continue speaking.

"Yes, yes, I do… but he doesn't know that yet. Red's too innocent to realize that I feel anything for him. No, the reason why I came back to talk to you is just to say… I know why you're doing this. You're a good girl, Blue, and you don't need to resort to petty tricks. You're better than that." Now's her turn the blush, and she looks away, even though she's still on the ground.

"I… I don't have any idea what you're talking about." She denies.

"Blue, yes you do. I know that what's happened in the past has really affected you, but you don't need to do this. You don't need to steal. Well, I think I've kept Red waiting long enough. I guess I should get going now." I begin to turn, but she begins to get up and grabs my arm.

"You… really know, don't you?" She asks.

"Yes, I do." I answer and continue walking away, leaving her in amazement. I guess she didn't think that anyone knew about her past. Well, really, at this point no one's _supposed _to know, but I just had to let her know that I did.

* * *

After the chat with Blue I caught up with Red and we both got a room at the Celadon Pokémon Center. This is the point where he realizes that she stole his badges with that hug.

"What? My badges! They're gone! That girl must've taken them from me!" He pouts, the anger in his voice rising.

"That bitch! She thinks that she can just take my badges from me without any consequences? Well, she's wrong! I'm going to go find her right now and settle this!" He rages.

"Red, it's getting late. Look at the clock; it's almost 11 at night. We'll look for her again in the morning." I try to calm him.

"But by then she'll be long gone!" He continues.

"Yes, but if we try to look now we'll get nowhere. It's too dark to see anything, so even if she was still in the area we wouldn't be able to see her. It'd be best if we rested for now and tried again in the morning." I keep trying.

"…You're right. I'm sorry for yelling, it's just… I worked so hard for those badges!" He apologizes.

"I know you did Red. I was with you when you earned both of them. I'll help look for her as well. Now, let's go to bed."


	17. Tricks

Author's Note:

First off, an apology. It sounds weird for me apologizing for not updating in only 5 days, but I just want to say it. I got tired from all the two-day-updates, so I took a break. That wasn't really good for the story. I finally realized why I wrote something everyday; if I stop, then I lose my train of thought and everything gets messed up. So, sorry if this chapter seems a bit "thrown-together-haphazardly" and if I'm not really creative in it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. Nintendo with the idea, Game Freak with the games. Kinda.

* * *

"Philippe, how dare you!" I hear screaming as soon as I enter the dream. Looks like Mew's not in a good mood. Not at all.

"What did I do, Mew?" I ask, puzzled. I seriously don't know why she's so mad.

"You could've given yourself away! You could've jeopardized your entire existence here!" She continues.

"What do you mean, 'jeopardized my entire existence here?'" I ask again.

"This is what I meant by me having more things to tell you but hopefully you having enough common sense not to do them! By telling Blue you know about her past, you revealed that you know something that you shouldn't! Do you know what this means?" She asks, still angry.

"No, what?" I ask, still confused.

"It means that… that… gah! I can't tell you this right now! Not because of you, but because of the Guardians!" She's a bit calmer at this point, but still red in the face.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you; I seem to be doing that a lot. It's just… I fear for your safety." She apologizes.

"Wait… why would the Guardians be dangerous? Didn't you say they helped create this planet?" I question.

"Yes, but… It's something else I can't explain to you right now. Just, trust me. I can't tell you, but in the future, when the time is right, it'll all make sense. For now, how about I tell you the Guardian's side of the creation, ok?" She quickly tries to change the subject, and I let her.

"Now, where did I leave off… aha! I left off by telling you how groups of the Legendaries took control over each region, right? Well, it's kind of like that with the Guardians. There are seven Guardians in total… well, that we know of right now. For the seven we know of so far, five of them control the regions. One for Kanto, one for Johto, one for Hoenn, one for Sinnoh, and one for Unova. The other two reign over the good and bad of the world. One of the seven is the leader. Each of the Guardians who took control over the regions took a high-ranking position in the region. Now, why am I avoiding the topic of who is who, and what their names are? Well, they're more secretive than us, so they don't want their identity being revealed. Please don't ask any further as to who they are." Mew explains.

"Yeah, I can see why you're asking that. I probably would've pestered you over and over again for their names if you hadn't." I admit.

"Well, now that we've gotten those two things out of the way, how about I send you on _your _way? But, and I cannot stress this enough, remember. Do not give away anything that could lead to you not being from this world, ok?" She keeps warning me about that last part, and even though it's annoying, I know why she's doing it.

"Yes, yes, I promise. I won't let anyone know where I'm from. But, how are we going to deal with Blue and me telling her that?" I ask.

"You mean how are_ you _going to deal with her. You're the one who told her, so you're the one who's going to have to get out of that mess." She answers, and sends me off without even giving me a clue as to how I can avoid getting in trouble with Blue.

* * *

Just as a heads up, I did _not _forget about Cubone yesterday while we were chasing Blue around. No, I decided that it'd be best for him (Or her, haven't found out yet) to remain at the Pokémon Center for two reasons. One: Cubone's a baby, and I don't think it would've been very safe for it to be with me while I was running around all over the place, and two: even though I don't like to talk about it, he was in the center of his mother's corpse, so I don't think that'd be very healthy. Just wanted Nurse Joy to make sure that Cubone's healthy enough to travel with me. Turns out my worrying was for nothing, and everything's fine. Red and I head out the door of the Pokémon Center after I pick up Cubone, and are now off to find Blue!

"So… where could she have gone?" Red asks.

"Now, she could be anywhere. If I were her, I wouldn't want to stay around where my victim is." I give as my opinion.

"Darn it! Do you have any ideas?" He asks again.

"Not really. We should just look around and hope that we find some clue as to where she could be." I respond.

"Let's take a look at that map you got." I take out the map and we both peer at it. To the east of Celadon is Saffron City… (Which, by the way, is locked just like it is in the games. We just went through the underground tunnel; nothing major happened, so I didn't feel like I needed to mention it.) Which means Blue probably didn't go in that direction. We met her coming from that direction, so she probably would think that we weren't clever enough to think that she'd probably go in a different direction. I tell Red this, and we agree that we should go to the west instead.

We start walking in that direction until we come upon some Rocket Grunts. Never thought that we'd run into them this soon after setting off for hunting Blue.

"Philippe, here!" Red whispers as he ducks behind a bush. I follow, and we both wait until they stop and begin talking.

"I'm getting sick and tired of this! Every time we get close to her, she suddenly disappears!" One complains.

"Yeah! And what's worse is that if we make one more screw up, the boss is going to have our heads!" The other agrees.

"What's so important about this 'Blue' girl? What's she done that's made the boss so angry and determined to catch her?" The other asks. This catches Red's attention, and he lets me know.

"Philippe, did you hear that? They're going after Blue as well! That mean she must be somehow connected with Team Rocket!" He says excitedly.

"Yes, but if Team Rocket is going after her, and since they're the bad guys, wouldn't that put Blue on the good side?" I explain.

"Not if she's working for herself! That's what she said earlier!" He adds.

"Haven't you ever heard the saying 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend?' We should help Blue, if only to hurt Team Rocket. Anyways, if we help her, she might be grateful enough to give you your badges back. It's a long shot, but it might work." I suggest.

"Maybe… But I'm not going to fall for anymore of her stunts!" He vows. He's making a lot of vows.

"First… how do we help her?" He questions.

"We'd have to get in with Team Rocket to find out why they're after her in the first place. I've seen this on T.V. many times, but not sure if it'd actually work… We need to steal some uniforms from Team Rocket and sneak into their hideout. However, if they're really stupid enough to believe that we're members, then they really need better security." I joke that last part.

"But, where are we going to get uniforms?" He asks. I point over to the two grunts that are still complaining about having to find Blue, and he realizes what I'm hinting at. We both go over to them and put on sad looks. I decide on a spur of the moment to grab Red's hand. He doesn't question it, and we start our acting career.

"Umm… Misters… could you help us?" Red asks, tears starting to form in his eyes.

"We lost our mommy and we can't find her!" I cry, half screaming and half in tears. I'm holding Cubone close to my chest with my other hand, and it starts crying as well, which only adds to the effect.

"Aw… poor kids. What do you say, Rolf? How about we help them? It's not like we're going to find Blue anytime soon." He asks his co-worker.

"Fine… it better not take too long." He grumbles. We both lead them back the way we came, although this time we lead them behind a gigantic rock (Still wondering why that was there in the first place) where Poliwrath and Mankey are waiting. Red had quickly explained to them what needed to be done (How was he able to communicate with them?) When they turn the corner, the two Pokémon punch the grunts in the face, just hard enough to knock them out. We strip them and change into their uniforms. They're too big for both of us, and I find this hilarious. What's even more hilarious, is that I was able to find a little Team Rocket Hat for Cubone to wear.

"You're right about one thing. If they're dumb enough to fall for this, they _do _need better security."

* * *

We continue to the Team Rocket Base (Conveniently labeled "Rocket Game") and walk down the stairs behind other grunts just entering. We follow them around until they come to a halt. We end up in a large room with a bunch of test tubes and gigantic cylinders. In one of the cylinders, there's a giant creature inside. Red points this out.

"I-is… that a Pokémon?" He says, confused. I would be too if I saw a giant creature within a test tube before knowing what it really was.

"I think so, but it's not like any of the others." I answer. From across the room we see a grunt and a scientist talking together.

"So, this is the copy?" The grunt asks.

"Yes, well, you see… it's a work in progress. The sample that we got from 'Mew' wasn't large enough to contain enough data for a complete copy." The scientist explains.

"Well, what if we were to get more data? Then would the copy be complete?" The grunt continues to ask.

"That is exactly why we need the girl! She's the only one with information on Mew's whereabouts! Well, _we_ would have the information, but some of the idiots here weren't careful enough and lost the disk!" The scientist yells.

"Hm… maybe you're right, Philippe. I'm starting to believe that 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' saying. I'm still mad at her for stealing my badges, though." Red says to me.

"See? She's not all bad." I add.

"Attention all units! Attention all units! The thief has been spotted! All units to Point 16 East!" A voice suddenly booms over the intercom.

"Well, I guess that's where we're headed, Red." I state.

* * *

We both head off with the rest of the grunts and make it to the so-called "Point 16 East." They really need to come up with better names of locations.

"So, are all of you here to see me? How thoughtful." Blue says sweetly.

"Cut it with your jokes! You know exactly why we're here!" The head grunt says.

"Oh, you mean this?" She pulls out a floppy disk and waves it in front of her, taunting the grunts. She really wants to get on their nerves, huh?

"Well, I guess I could give it to you… Except for the fact that I want her as well!" I guess Blue knows that Mew's a girl. She throws the disk over to Wartortle who catches it in his mouth (Without breaking it, amazingly).

"Stop that! You'll damage the disk! And I know that you don't want that to happen either!" The grunt exclaims.

"That's only if _you _attack my precious Wartortle!" She teases. I'm starting to like her more and more.

Red and I are just standing there when all of a sudden the grunts all send out their Pokémon and command them to attack Wartortle.

"Rhydon, Rock Throw!" The first grunt orders.

"Dugtrio, Earthquake!" A second commands.

"Machamp, Mega Punch!" The leader screams. They aren't really worried about harming the disk? Wow. They were the ones who said that she'd damage the disk.

Wartortle easily dodges all of their attacks by sliding on its shell (It can slide on grass?). The earthquake's radius is too small to hit Wartortle and instead it knocks Rhydon and Machamp off balance, and they crash into each other. Talk about friendly fire.

"Gotta be more careful before you try to outsmart… a trainer with two badges!" Hm… that line sounds familiar…

"Gah! First she steals my badges, then my lines?" Yep. Knew I heard it from somewhere.

"Well, you did kinda reveal you had said badges with that line. And it was good; of course she'd use it!" I exclaim.

"Why you little… Go, Tauros!" The leader sends a Pokéball flying and out comes a giant buffalo thing.

"This Pokémon's known as the King of the Safari Zone. Everyone else obeys his command… including these guys!" As soon as he finishes that sentence, Tauros swishes his tail back and forth and the other Pokémon are mesmerized. They get up, and it's as if they were never knocked down.

"Tauros, rush that turtle!" Tauros rushes towards Wartortle and hits him in the stomach with his horns. Wartortle drops the disk, and the leader walks over and picks it up.

"Now that we have this, I guess it's time to…" The leader starts but is interrupted.

"Not so fast! You don't think that was my only Pokémon now, do you?" Blue says as she points to her second. It's a Ditto!

"You call that a Pokémon? It's more like a blob if you ask me!" He laughs.

"A blob that's about to be squished!" He continues. Tauros charges at Ditto and knocks her off of the cliff that she and Blue were backed into. The Tauros turns and begins charging towards Blue, but Red decides to be a hero and pushes her out of the way at the last second.

"Oh… it's my two heroes!" She says as I walk over to them. I hold Cubone even more tightly than I was before, just in case. I'm starting to worry with all these grunts around.

"Stop worrying about me; what about your Pokémon?" Red asks, concerned.

"Oh, don't worry about her. It's their Pokémon you should be worried about!" Blue says, unconcerned.

"And why should you be worried about ours? Tauros is still ready to charge, and you're all out of Pokémon!" The leader laughs.

"Tauros, attack!" He commands. The Tauros whips its tail and… the other Pokémon begin attacking themselves?

"W-what's going on here? You're all supposed to be attacking the girl, not each other!" He tries to get the Pokémon under control, but to no avail. They attack each other, and eventually, the grunts themselves.

"Sir, why are they attack us?" One of the grunts asks while running away from his Rhydon.

"I don't know what's goin- hey, what are you two just standing there for? You're supposed to be helping us catch that girl! Go get her!" He yells at us.

"Oh? You mean these two? Why, these aren't just any grunts. No, they're my grunts!" Blue yells as she takes off our hats.

"Now that they're taken care of, how about we ditch them?" Blue asks, walking away from them. She sends out a third Pokémon, Jigglypuff, and continues walking.

"But… what about your pink blob?" Red asks.

"You mean Ditto? Why, she's right over there!" Blue points at the Tauros, and slowly the Pokémon begins… for lack of a better word, "melting," back into Ditto. How the two Tauros switched without anything noticing, I don't know. And where exactly the true Tauros is, I also don't know. She points her pokéball at the Ditto, and she's returned.

"Now, let's get going before they get their act together. If they ever do." Blue says. Jigglypuff begins puffing up her cheeks until she's the size of a hot air balloon. Again, Pokémon logic. I will never understand it. Blue grabs hold of Jigglypuff's foot, I grab hold of Blue's leg, and Red grabs hold of my leg. The Jigglypuff stops inhaling air and starts being lifted into the air. Where we're going, only Blue knows.


	18. More Tricks, Mysterious Pokéball

Author's Note: Well, this chapter's a little better than the last one. I just hope I'll be able to do better in the future. And I seem to be ending most chapters with sleeping, aren't I?

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. Nintendo does.

* * *

"Get me down from here!"

"What, is someone scared of heights?

Red, Blue and I have been floating on Jigglypuff for only a few minutes, and already I feel sick to my stomach. No, I'm not scared of heights like she said. I'm just scared of heights on Jigglypuff; there's no support or anything! If anything happens, we'll plummet to the ground. What's worse, is that I don't have a good grip on her leg. One hand is holding onto her, the other onto Cubone. He's much lighter than a regular Cubone, so that makes it a bit easier. Still harder than normal.

"N-no… I just don't like being completely exposed. What if we were to all fall?" I explain.

"Don't worry; I've done this dozens of times and nothing's happened!" Yet, I think to myself.

"Anyways, I think we're almost there." She says.

We land in a field not too far from the Rocket Game Corner, where we were right before we started chasing after Blue.

"Wait… you mean to tell us that you brought us back to this place? Since the Rockets have their disk back, doesn't that mean they won't chase us anymore? Why are we here?" Red asks.

"You actually think that I'd give something that valuable back? After how hard I worked to get it?" She pulls out what looks to be the disk, and shows it to Red.

"What? Then what do they have?" He asks, incredulously.

"What they have, my friend, is a fake." She explains.

"How were you able to make a fake in such a short amount of time? Or did you steal the real one such a long time ago that you had time to make a fake?" I ask.

"I took it a long time ago, and they just now managed to find me. I had a lot of time to make the fake. They're really bad at what they do." She starts making fun of them.

"Yeah, you're right about that. I mean, they all believed that Red and I were Team Rocket members." I tell her while calming Cubone.

"Yeah! You two really looked cute in those uniforms, by the way."

"Aw, thanks!" Red blushes. He seems to be thanking her for a lot of compliments.

"Um… Blue? What exactly is on that disk?" I ask.

"If you had heard what the Rockets were talking about, then you must've realized that this is the disk containing info on Mew!" She explains.

"'Mew?' What's a Mew?" Red asks.

"Only the cutest Pokémon in the world! Question. Do you know how many types of Pokémon there are?" She asks Red.

"150, of course." He responds.

"Wrong! There are exactly 151 Pokémon known to man. Mew is #151, the Phantom Pokémon. Few people know of her existence, and even fewer people know anything about her. Think of all the money I could make it I were to find her!" She says, excitedly.

"Alright… what exactly does this 'Phantom Pokémon' look like? The name sounds familiar…" Red asks.

"Mew looks like this!" Blue points to where she opened her pokéball, and in that location is a Pokémon that looks almost exactly like Mew.

"Ah…! Philippe, isn't that the Pokémon we saw in Viridian Forest?" He questions.

"Yeah. That's the same one that Team Rocket was chasing after." I respond.

"Yep! They've been after Mew for quite some time now. So, how about we give them a treat? Ditto, go distract Team Rocket for a bit, ok?" Ditto obeys, and flies off towards the entrance of the Game Corner. The alarms soon ring, and we see all of the grunts run out and chase after "Mew."

"Since you're with me now, both of you are going to have to help. There might be a little something in it for you afterwards." She winks at the end.

Since we have no choice, we follow Blue in the opposite direction of the grunts.

"Do you really think that Ditto will be able to keep them distracted?" Red asks.

"Of course! Until they realize Ditto doesn't know any of Mew's attacks. Which should be long enough for us to find Mew for ourselves!" Blue takes out what looks to be a pair of binoculars, and puts them over her eyes.

"What are those?" I ask.

"This is what I call 'Mew-Vision.' Psychic Pokémon emit brainwaves when using 'Telekinesis,' and each Pokémon has different brainwaves. This disk here has information on Mew, including her brainwaves, so by inputting the disk into the Mew-Vision, it should be able to track the waves down." Blue inserts the disk into the machine, and she suddenly gasps.

"P-Philippe… I sense a lot of Mew's power radiating from you…!" She says, unable to hold still. This. Is. Not. Good.

"W-well, maybe Mew rubbed off on me when we last ran into her!" I quickly answer.

"But, wouldn't she have rubbed off on Red as well? He told me that you were both there when you saw her." She asks, now getting suspicious.

"Back in Viridian Forest, she never got close to you, isn't that right?" I turn to Red.

"Yeah, but… I never saw her near you either." He says.

"Ah… ha! I remember now. Red, I came out of the forest when I first met you, right? Well, before then, I ran into Mew. I didn't know who she was back then. I was hurt, and she flew over to me and somehow healed me." I explain. It's the truth; they don't need to know the rest.

"Well, even if that's true… that was over a month ago, Philippe! Her power should've worn off by now!" Red says.

"If what Blue's saying is true, then Mew's power is so great, that it actually might still linger on me." I add.

"He's right. Mew's thought of to be the most powerful Pokémon in existence!" Blue says, excited once more. I narrowly escaped their accusations.

"Well, let's see if we can find another source of brainwaves… Ah! There!" She points towards the direction forest.

"We should easily be able to find her before Team Rocket finds out Ditto's a fake!" She says and begins to run.

* * *

The forest isn't that far away, so we make it there fairly quickly.

"So, where is she now?" I ask.

"She should be somewhere to the south-east." Blue explains.

"Blue… do you really believe that we'll be able to find Mew before Team Rocket does? I don't want them getting a hold on her…" Red asks.

"Of course! We have a huge head-start on them. Why are you worrying so much?" Blue says.

"Well, I think Team Rocket's trying to use Mew to create some sort of monster. Philippe and I saw a huge tube inside their base, and there was a half-completed thing inside. They said that they needed more of Mew's data to be able to complete it." He explains.

"Don't worry about that. We'll find her before they do. Hm… since Mew's able to fly, I think it'd be best if one of us were to go around and try to corner her between two groups. Red, how about you go over that way a little, and try to have her come towards us?" Blue explains.

"Sure. Philippe, just make sure she doesn't scam you like she did me." Red adds that last part in quietly so she won't be able to hear.

Now that Blue and I are alone, she turns to me with a stern look.

"Philippe, I want to know something, and I want to know it now. How do you know about what happened in my past?" She asks. I knew this was coming, but I didn't expect it so soon.

"Blue, the man who hurt you didn't hurt just _you_, right? There were other kids with you. I… learned about what had happened from one of them." Not personally, but from the manga. Yay for being able to bend the truth!

"You… met one of the others? Who? Which one?" She asks, grabbing hold of my shoulders. Her mood switched from anger to desperation in such a short amount of time. I guess she's really desperate to be able to find out who they are.

"I don't know, Blue. All I know is that I learned what happened from them. Nothing else. They just… needed to tell someone." I finish.

"Oh… I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. At first… I thought you were one of them. I guess I was wrong." She says with a hint of guilt in her voice.

"It's alright. No harm done." I try to assure her.

"Now that that's been explained, how about we look for Mew?" I suggest.

"Yeah. Red should be luring her to us right now… We'll just have to wait until then. You wanna try the Mew-Vision?" She asks. I take the machine and put it on. At first it's weird, looking at the world in a different way, but I soon get used to it. I can see the trail of Mew's brainwaves coming from the direction that Red had headed off to, and stare.

I keep staring until I hear something coming from the direction I'm looking in. Looks like Red's gotten Mew to come this way.

We first see Mew pop out from the trees, then Red. Mew doesn't seem surprised at all (If Pokémon can even look surprised) to see us.

"What do we do now, Blue?" Red shouts.

"Send out a Pokémon and attack! We have to weaken her first to be able to catch her, remember?" She answers.

"Right!" Red sends out Ivysaur while Blue sends out Wartortle. Red has Ivysaur use Razor Leaf, and Blue has Wartortle use Water Gun. Neither seem to have an effect on her.

"Nothing's working Blue!" Red says.

"And you won't be able to try anything else out either!" A voice from not too far away shouts. Looks like Ditto's been found out.

"Well, it took you long enough! I thought you'd be smart enough to figure it out _way _before now!" Blue teases.

"Yes, and now it's time for you to pay! Jynx, Psywave!" The Jynx that was standing next to him holds her hands out in front of her and starts murmuring something in Pokéspeak.

"Blue, Philippe, you two have to get Mew out of here!" Red tells us.

"But, what about you?" I really don't want to leave Red alone with these guys.

"I'll be fine; you've seen me take care of myself, haven't you Philippe?" It's true, but…

"Let's go, Philippe." Blue takes my hand and drags me along with her. We run towards Mew and try to chase her off. It's harder to run because I'm still holding Cubone between one arm and my stomach.

Our plan was short-lived, because right after we had decided to chase Mew Jynx had finished charging up her Psywave. She let out all the power she had stored, and it was ear-splitting. We were all paralyzed on the spot. I had tightened my grip around Cubone just before it happened, so I didn't drop it. That's something positive, at least.

"Now that you're incapacitated, we can finally take Mew!" The grunt who owns the Jynx throws a rope towards Mew, and it wraps around her by itself. While the grunt walks over to Mew, the effects of the psywave have lessened enough so we can move a little.

"This isn't over yet! Go, Poliwrath!" Red sends out Poliwrath and has him try to charge the grunt. Jynx, however, has different plans. She sends a psybeam his way and it stuns him, just like the psywave stunned us.

"Well, I guess it's our turn. Pikachu, come out!" I send out Pikachu, and tell him the situation. I'm not sure if he can understand me, but he seems ready to fight.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on the ground." Pikachu charges up and lets out a single bolt of electricity. It lands directly in front of the grunt, and he's thrown backwards. The force has him drop the rope, and Mew untangles herself.

"No! The Mew! Grunts, get her!" The grunt shouts after getting up. All other grunts that he had brought with him start running after Mew, but they're too late. She's let out a single wave of energy which petrifies all of the grunts. Red and Blue stare in awe at her power, while I just look.

"W…what was that?" Red asks.

"I don't know… but it seems to be the power of Mew." Blue answers.

Mew decides that there's nothing else that needs to be done here and flies off. Before she's out of sight, she turns to me and winks.

"Wow…" Blue says, unable to say anything else.

"Yeah. Too bad we weren't able to get any info on her…" Red says, disappointed. I guess he wanted to learn more about Mew just as much as Blue does.

"What are you talking about? Of course I got something on Mew!" Blue pulls out a camera and shows him the pictures she took of her.

"W-when did you take those?" That's something I'd like to know as well.

"When you two were fighting, sillies!" She explains.

"Well, I guess it's off to sell these babies! Thanks for all your help!" She sends out Jigglypuff again and starts flying away.

"Philippe, can't you do anything to stop her? She still has my badges!" Red shouts.

"There's nothing I can do. Also, why don't you take a look in your pockets?" I suggest.

"Fine, but what's there going to be-" Red stops mid-sentence as he finds something. He takes whatever it is out, and learns that Blue had returned his badges during the fight as well. How is she able to do so many things at once?

* * *

Red and I return to the Pokémon Center after all of the events, and we're _tired. _My arm more-so, because I've had to carry Cubone around all day with the same arm. I put him down on the bed and stretch the arm.

"Philippe, why do you think Blue returned the badges?" Red asks.

"We helped her, didn't we? Maybe she thought that we worked to get them back, so she gave them. I don't know." I answer.

"Maybe… Ah! I just remembered something that I've been wanting to ask you. Why did you really want to stay back with her the first time we parted ways?" He continues to ask.

"Heh… The real reason was I just wanted to talk to her." I tell him.

"About what?"

"I just wanted to talk to her about her past. A girl our age shouldn't have to steal to make a living; a girl our age should live at home with her parents. _We _should be living at home with our parents. Well, you should, at least. Which reminds me; shouldn't you at least be calling your parents once in a while to let them know you're safe?" I say.

"You're right! I'll be right back." Red heads out the door and towards the phone. While Red's leaving, Mew decides that it'd be a wonderful time to pop in. She opens the window and flies in, still in her Pokémon form.

"W-what are you doing here? Who knows when Red will be back?" I say, alarmed. She just stares at me with a look that says "Really?"

"What's with the look?" I ask. She just keeps staring- I feel like such an idiot.

"Well, that's _your_ problem. You came in here knowing you wouldn't be able to speak, so why did you?" She's a Pokémon, so she can't talk. Why did I _just_ now realize that?

She flies over to me and hands me a pokéball. I try to open it, but it's sealed shut. Why would she give me a pokéball that I can't even open?

"Mew, why'd you give me this?" I ask, but she just looks at me. Well, I know what I'm going to be asking her tonight.

"Hey, Philippe!" Red calls from across the Center. He finished his call and is walking back to the room. Mew immediately flies back out the window before Red can see her.

"So, I called my mom and told her everything that's happened so far. She wants me to come home, but she knows I won't. She's just so worried all the time… Even before I left on this journey for Professor Oak." He explains.

"Of course your mom would be worried. Even more-so with everything that's happened with us; these kinds of things normally _never _happen to _anyone._" I tell him.

"Yeah…" Red says… Awkward silence.

"Ah… I'll be going to bed now, if that's alright with you." I say.

"Alright. Goodnight, Philippe." He says as I slide into bed. I'm so tired from the day that I don't even bother changing into my night clothes. I pick up Cubone and hold him close to me, like every night.

"Goodnight, Red."


	19. Mixups

Author's Note: Seems like I've been getting back into the habit of writing; hopefully I'll get back to the point of where I'm finishing a chapter every other day. Anyways, read and tell me whatever you find wrong, ok?

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or anything related to it. Nintendo does.

* * *

"Is this the only routine we're going to have? Some major thing happening, then that night I meet with you?" I ask Mew as I come to.

"Pretty much. I don't need to talk to you at any other time, do I?" She responds.

"No, I guess not." Awkward silence time again.

"So… what did you bring me here to talk about this time?" I continue to ask.

"You did well with telling Blue the truth. You're getting better and better at lying every second you're here." She tells me.

"It's not really 'lying.' Just leaving out the facts that they don't need to know. I feel bad about not telling Red everything, though…" I confess.

"I know you don't, but that's just how it's going to have to be for now." Mew says.

"Alright. Now that you've told me something, I want to ask you something. What's with the pokéball you gave me before Red came back into the room? I couldn't get it open, no matter how hard I tried." I ask.

"Philippe, the pokéball will open when the time comes. For now, it'll remain shut. You don't need to worry about it. Just, keep it with you at all times, alright?" She explains.

"Isn't there anything else I can know about it?" I continue to ask.

"Well, there is one thing. The pokéball is the only way that I could think of stopping the jump in age that I warned you about earlier. If you carry the pokéball with you, you won't have to worry about that happening. Does that satisfy your curiosity?" She tells me.

"It does. For now, at least. Is that the only thing that you brought me here to tell me?" I question.

"That, and to ask you if you wanted to know a little bit more of the history." She answers.

"Sure. The more I know, the better, right?"

"Yeah. Now I'll be telling you how everything came to existence. Obviously, in the beginning there was nothing but the planet. An empty, lifeless planet. No wildlife and no plants. How everything came to be was through a very complex system. Each and every being in the world has a code. This code tells us who they are, where they are, what they are, everything about them. It's what defines them. Even though a person's personality may change, their code is constant. It never changes. The Legendaries and Guardians created these codes for every single living being, and non-living being, there is. Do you understand what I've said so far?" She says.

"Yeah. So, even I have one of these codes? Even though I'm not originally from here?" I ask.

"Yes. Every being in every universe, even your universe, has a code. The code also tells which universe a person is from. Deities can track a being by using their code; they can't track beings who have codes of other universes, however." She explains.

"So, the Guardians, and even you Legendaries, couldn't track me, even if you wanted to?" I continue to question.

"Technically, yes. I, however, am an exception. That's because I used my own power to change your physical body, so some of my power remains with you. I can track you by using said power." She explains further.

"That doesn't sound stalkerish at all." I joke.

"It might seem that way, but it's a good thing in the end. If anything were to happen to you I could be there right away to fix it." She says.

"Yeah, I guess. Is that all that you have to explain to me this time?" I ask, wanting to get back to the real world.

"Yes, that's all for now." She states, and I wake up.

* * *

"Philippe, it's time to get up!" I hear someone shout at me. I open my eyes and see Red staring at me.

"And why do you get to make that decision?" I say, still a little drowsy from the night.

"Because I said so!" That makes absolutely no sense at all, but whatever.

"Alright, I'm getting up. But, first, could you get up and off of me? I can't move with your weight." Red had positioned himself on top of me, and I was blushing a little. He, obviously, doesn't think a thing about it, what with him being 11.

"Oh, sorry." He gets off the bed and lets me get up. I quickly change into a new set of clothes, pick up Cubone from off the bed, and am ready to set out once more.

"Alright, so… where are we going now?" Red asks sheepishly.

"You have no idea, do you. Well, since the next gym's within the city we're already in, how about we go there?" I suggest.

"Oh, right! I completely forgot that there was a gym in Celadon! Well, how about we train first? I don't wanna walk in and make a complete fool of myself!" Red says.

"Like you haven't already…" I mutter to myself.

"F-fine! Make a bigger fool then! You happy!" He stutters a little.

"You know Red, you're cute when you're mad." This might actually be the first time I say that to his face. Now it's his turn to blush.

"W-what? Don't change the subject!" And there we go. Compliment completely ignored.

"Hehe… Alright. How about we leave the city to train? I don't want to make a mess of anywhere and have to pay for the damages. With my luck that'd be bound to happen." We leave the city after that statement, and soon we're in a wide open field. Perfect for battling.

"Well, now that we're here, how about we get started?" Red asks.

"Alright. You choose your Pokémon first, and I'll go second." I say.

"Well, since I haven't had much time with him since I caught him, I'll see what he can do! Go, Mankey!" Red's chosen Mankey, and I've chosen Gastly.

"You better be trying out a new tactic this time; I'm sick of the old one!" He shouts.

"If the old tactic works, why wouldn't I use it? But, just for you, I'll switch it up. Gastly, Hypnosis!" Now to try something out that always bothered me while I was playing the games. Hypnosis and supersonic were my two most hated moves of all time.

"Mankey, come on! Wake up!" Red screams.

"Shouting's not going to get you anywhere, Red. Gastly, use Dream Eater!" Gastly launches itself towards Mankey's head and starts sucking on it. Not the prettiest of sights, but as long as it drains Mankey's health, I'm ok with it.

Eventually the sucking stops and Gastly floats back to me. Mankey awakens by the time Gastly's back, and seems out of it. Of course, if I were to have the life sucked out of me I'd be a little out of it too.

"Mankey, get up!" Mankey gets up and wobbles a bit, but soon is more stable.

"Mankey, use Karate Chop!" Mankey runs towards Gastly and slahes its hands across Gastly, but it hardly did any damage. The chop mainly hits the air, but some of the hand hits what little of a physical body Gastly has.

"Gastly, Night Shade!" Something from whatever Gastly produced has Mankey transfixed, and eventually he snaps out of it. I have no idea what effect that had on him, but he looks a bit weaker.

"Mankey, we have to finish this, quick! Seismic Toss!" There goes Red and his not thinking again. Mankey tries to grab hold of Gastly, but because Gastly is made up of 95% gases, there's nothing to grab on to. The chop was lucky that it hit what it did.

"Red, this is what you get for rushing things. Gastly, Lick!" Gastly gives Mankey a huge lick, and that knocks him out. Seriously. I want to know exactly how a lick can do damage.

"Gah! This isn't over yet!" Red always gets way too into battles. He sends out Ivysaur as his next Pokémon and starts right away.

"Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!" When will he ever learn that the leaves will just go through Gastly's body. Well, what little of a body he has, like I've stated earlier.

"Gastly, Shadow Ball." Gastly splits some of the gases from himself, has it form into a ball, and sends it hurtling towards Ivysaur. It hits, but it doesn't look like it did much.

"Ivysaur, charge!" A ball of light starts growing near where Ivysaur's bulb is, and it begins to get bigger.

"Gastly, use Curse!" Nothing visibly happens, and a couple seconds later Ivysaur's done charging and lets a Solarbeam loose on Gastly.

"Well, that's one for one!" Red shouts as Gastly falls to the ground.

"Yes, well, I still have Pikachu. Gastly, return, and out you come Pikachu!" Pikachu's sent out and is ready to battle.

"Ivysaur, Vine Whip!" Ivysaur lets out two vines from its sides and they tie Pikachu's legs together. I give Pikachu a little nod, and he does what we did last time this happened. Pikachu lets bursts of electricity travel up the vines to Ivysaur, and he's shocked.

"Ivysaur, snap out of it!" Red commands. Ivysaur _does_ snap out of it, but suddenly collapses.

"W-what? Ivysaur, get up!" Red shouts.

"Even if he's fainted, Gastly still wins." I state.

"What do you mean?" Red asks.

"Since I knew that Gastly was going to be knocked out due to the Solarbeam, I had him use Curse right before it launched. Curse is an attack that works different for Ghost types and any other types. For Ghost types, it cuts their health in half, but curses the opponent. Said curse does damage over time, and doesn't stop until the target's fainted." I explain.

"…So you just beat me with Gastly. Again. Is that thing even stoppable?" He says, irritated.

"Well, you did knock him out with Ivysaur." I say.

"Yeah, but not without your Gastly knocking him out as well." Red continues to complain.

"How am I ever going to be able to beat the gym if I keep losing to you?" He asks.

"Red, don't give me that much credit. It's Gastly who you should be praising, not me. I've barely trained him at all! It's his power, not mine. Anyways, since she's a grass type, your battling style should differ from the one you use while fighting Gastly. So, your effectiveness while fighting him shouldn't determine the outcome of your battle with the gym leader. What I think you should do, is that you probably should have Poliwrath sit out for the fight. Ivysaur would be good for stalling… he wouldn't do much damage, nor would he take much damage. Snorlax and Mankey would be the two for fighting. Well, mainly Mankey, because Snorlax would probably sleep during the entire battle." I explain.

"You're probably right on that. Now that Gastly and Pikachu have fought a bit, how about trying to get Cubone to participate?" Cubone's been watching the entire battle from where I put him down, and he hasn't moved since. I'm just going to call him a he for now.

"Red, you have to remember that I'm still not sure of how old he is! He has to get used to me before I can try to have him battle." I tell him.

"But he's already used to you!" Red insists.

"Not used enough. Let's get going. Now that we've trained we probably should heal up at the Pokémon Center." I suggest.

"Alright." Red and I both return our Pokémon and start heading back towards Celadon. On our way there, however, since both of us were so deeply engaged in our conversation, we didn't see the boy walking straight towards us and bumped into him. Guess who it is.

"Owwwwwww…" Red groans.

"Watch where you're going!" The other boy shouts.

Red and I both look up from the ground and see that we had bumped into none other than Green.

"Of course it had to be you two…Whatever! Just hand me my pokéballs and go." Green shouts.

I quickly pick up Cubone and try to stop him from crying while Red and Green pick up the pokéballs that were knocked to the ground. Red hands me mine while Green storms off.

"Friendly as ever, I see." Red jokes. As soon as he says that we hear a scream coming from across the field. Somehow Green's made it so far away from us that he doesn't hear it, so it looks like it's up to us.

"Let's go see what that was!" Red says as he runs off in the direction of the scream.

We make it there just in time to see two girls running away from a pack of Pokémon: A Rhydon, a Marowak, and a Graveler.

"Alright! Now's time for more training, huh? Well, since they're all rock, Poliwrath will do the trick!" Red sends out a pokéball and out comes… Charmeleon?

"W-what? That's not Poliwrath! Well, let's try another… Snorlax, come out!" And yet again, something completely unexpected happens: Snorlax doesn't come out, but Pidgeot does.

"Gah!" Red shouts in frustration as he sends out all his pokéballs. In the end he's sent out Pidgeot, Machoke, Charmeleon and Scyther.

"None of these are my Pokémon!" Red shouts. The girls run up to us and one immediately screams, this time out of happiness and not fear.

"Ahhhhhh! You must be Green!" She shrieks.

"G-green?" Red stutters.

"Yes! Green! The Pokémon Trainer! You have a Pidgeot, Charmeleon, Scyther and Machoke! You must be him! Although, you're not as cute as they say." She says.

"I beg to differ." I state. …I cannot believe I just said that. Red seems to ignore the comment and tries to decide his next move.

"Well, looks like I'm going to have to do something! Charmander, use Flamethrower!" Red, that's a Charmeleon, not a Charmander. Charmeleon seems to be just as annoyed and stares at Red with a look that could kill, then spits a tiny flame towards him. It lands next to him, and he jumps.

"Wah!" He screams. The two girls look at him, puzzled.

"Green, come on! You're better than that!" The younger one cheers.

"Yeah… Come on, think!" Red mumbles to himself.

"Uh… 'Green,' how about using Machoke? He could break right through the rock hard skin of the Pokémon. And, could you try to hurry? They're catching up to us." The three Pokémon who were chasing the girls have now pretty much caught up; the girls were able to put some distance between them and the Pokémon due to how fast they were running (Which was fast, since it was able to out-speed a Rhydon, Graveler and Marowak), but that distance has been growing shorter and shorter.

"Right! Machoke, use…" Red starts, then stops.

"How about Seismic Toss?" I suggest.

"Machoke, Seismic Toss!" Machoke obeys Red's command and runs up to Graveler, picks up him, and throws him back on the ground. This causes many cracks in Graveler's body and renders him unconscious. Green must've _really _trainer his Pokémon well for one to be able to OHKO a Graveler.

"That's more like it! I knew you could do it!" The younger girl cheers again.

"Machoke, use Seismic Toss again!" Machoke uses the same move on Marowak, and it has the same effect; the skull was cracked. I feel a slight pain in my heart, looking down at Cubone. Cubone sees Marowak as well, and the skull reminds him of his mother's. He begins to cry, and it has some sort of effect on the last standing Pokémon, Rhydon. Rhydon doesn't know what to look while looking at Cubone, and that gives Machoke enough time to attack without any resistance.

"Yeah! We did it!" Red goes to give Machoke a high-five, but is completely rejected.

"Hehe… so, how was I?" Red asks the girls. The older one walks up to him and slaps him.

"You're a fake! The real Green wouldn't have had such a hard time controlling his Pokémon! You didn't even know what attacks Machoke knows!" Once the older girl was done yelling at him, they both left.

"Owwww! She didn't have to hit me so hard!" Red whines.

"It's ok, Red. Let's just go find Green and give him his Pokémon back, alright?"

* * *

The next couple of days during our search for Green were fruitless. It was if he was _trying _not to be found.

It turns out that Red had gotten one of my Pokémon mixed up as well; Instead of Gastly, I now have Golduck. Luckily he got Pikachu's Pokéball correct. I still have no idea how he could've gotten the pokéballs mixed up; the balls are transparent, so you can see which Pokémon is inside.

"These guys have been training by themselves ever since the mixup first happened; Green must've really trained his Pokémon well." Red says to himself. He sounds a little depressed.

"Philippe, something's been on my mind ever since that incident with the two girls. Why did Machoke listen to me? He's Green's Pokémon, right?" Red asks.

"I think it's because of the badges you have. Machoke might think that you're a capable enough trainer because you were able to earn them." I explain.

"Also, Red… Don't beat yourself up about how Green's Pokémon are stronger than yours. It just means that he's been too busy to train them himself if they're training by themselves. You give your Pokémon love and attention. I bet that's something that Green never gave them. You have to remember, a strong Pokémon isn't always the best Pokémon. All three of us have trained our Pokémon differently. Green's been training his by hard work and never letting up, you've been training yours by giving them love and affection, and I… Well, I've just been trying to learn as much about Pokémon as I can. I haven't really been training my Pokémon that much… I guess the only reason why Gastly's so strong is because of how strong he was when I caught him. Cubone here's still a baby, so I can't train him that much." I explain.

"But you had Cubone fight when those Pokémon were chasing us! I saw him use Fake Tears." Red exclaims.

"No, Red. Those weren't Fake Tears. Those were real tears. If you had been paying attention to what Cubone was crying at, you would've seen that he had begun crying when he saw Marowak's skull be cracked. Marowak is Cubone's evolved form; that means the skull on Marowak's head is the skull of his mother. Cubone knows that deep down, so he began crying when he saw the Marowak's Mother's skull cracked." I explain further.

"Oh…" Is all he says. So many awkward silences lately.

"…Uh, guys? Dinner's ready." Red says to Green's Pokémon after a couple minutes.

Green's Pokémon don't respond immediately, but after a bit they slowly come towards the fire that we had made. We had taken some of the food that we had bought and cooked it ourselves. We haven't been back into Celadon since the run-in with Green, so we don't have much left.

Green's Pokémon, as well as two of mine, start eating. I miss Gastly, but I know that Green's taking care of him. And if he isn't… We'll see what happens then. Red and I take our own portions and start eating as well.

"When do you think we'll find Green?" Red asks while eating.

"Hopefully soon… I just want to know that my Pokémon are well taken care of." I tell him.

* * *

The next day we continue searching for Green, and actually make progress this time. We hear some fighting coming from over the hill, and rush towards it. Normally I wouldn't rush towards the sound of fighting, but I'm pretty sure this is Green.

When we make it over the hill, my intuition is proven to be right. It's Green fighting against a Ninetales. He's using Red's Poliwrath.

"There he is! And there's Poliwrath!" Red exclaims as he runs towards them.

"Poliwrath, Hydro Pump!" Green commands, and Poliwrath sends out a torrent of water from his stomach. It hits Ninetales directly on the… tail, and she's knocked off balance. I think she knows she's going to lose, because she starts running away… towards Red and I.

"Not this way!" Red screams.

"Red, do something!" I scream back. Red decides that he's going to try to fight it as well and sends out Machoke.

Machoke just stands there, Red not having given any orders, and takes the full force of Ninetales's flamethrower that she decides to send out.

"Don't just stand there, do something! Do you want my Machoke to die?" Green screams from across the field.

"What am I supposed to-" Red gets cut off by the sudden burst of light coming from Machoke. Looks like it's time for more evolution! Machoke evolves into Machamp, and then fights by himself. I think it's because Green's finally caught up with Ninetales and is here watching. Machamp easily defeats the Ninetales, and both Red and Green send a pokéball flying. Red's pokéball catches the Ninetales, but that's not the end of it. They both end up arguing for what seems like an eternity over whose Pokémon it actually is. I kind of just tune them out towards the end.


	20. Eeveelutions

"Red, I think you're going a little too fast!" I scream. Red and I decided to take Cycling Road, and since there's so many people other than us we thought it'd be safer if one of us rode and the other sat behind. Boy were we wrong.

"Well sorry, but I can't help it! There's too much of a slope!" Red shouts behind him. Why are we even doing this you might ask? Well, even though there's a gym behind us, Red thinks that the city's nothing but bad luck. I'm starting to think so too. I mean, what with Blue stealing Red's badges, us being chased (and chasing with) by Team Rocket, and then the whole mix-up with our Pokémon, who wouldn't think that?

"Red, look out!" Even though he sees it when I do, there's no avoiding the Pokémon in the middle of the road, and we crash. Thankfully we're near the end of the route, so there's fewer bicyclists on the road.

"We seem to be crashing into a lot of stuff lately." I say, groaning.

"There it goes!" Red's up in a second and already chasing after the thing. I have no idea how he has so much energy.

"Wait for me!" I chase after him, and after a while we both catch up to the Pokémon, but not before it runs into the crowd. What's a crowd doing here anyways?

"Philippe, do you think it's one of their Pokémon?" He asks.

"More than likely." If my suspicions are right, Red's about to get angry…

"You people should really keep a better eye on your Pokémon! We could've been killed!" …Now

"Shhh! Be quiet! You don't know who you're in the presence of!" One of the crowd member hushes.

"I don't care if it's the most important person in the world! I demand an apology right now!" Hm… What kind of government _does _this world have?

"No, no, he's right! Please, everyone apologize to him right now!" A woman's voice commands. The voice is coming from the house that's behind the mob of people (How could I have missed that?), and as soon as everyone else hears it they all get to their knees.

"Bow when you're apologized to!" The person from earlier hisses. Having to bow when you're being apologized to? That seems odd.

"And exactly why should I?" Red pouts.

"Because she is Lady Erika!" He hisses some more.

"Who?" Red asks, puzzled.

"Red, Red, Red. If you were paying attention to anything that I was saying earlier, you would've heard me say that Erika is the leader of the Celadon Gym." I explain.

"What?! Leader of the Celadon Gym?" He asks, amazed.

"Do you have to repeat everything that I say?" Because he sure seems to be doing it a lot.

"You two are fighting like an old married couple! How cute!" Erika giggles. Red and I both blush at the statement.

"We're not fighting!" Red shouts.

"Oh? Well, if that's not fighting, I wonder what would be." She says to herself.

"Forget about the fighting! If what Philippe says is true, and you _are _a gym leader, then I challenge you to a battle!" Red states. That's not forgetting about fighting~

"You can't just ask Lady Erika to battle! She's tired from her journey!" Here he goes again, yelling at us for being rude to "Lady Erika."

"It's alright. I _am _tired, but I can't just reject a battle, can I? However, I will only battle you on one condition. If you are able to catch a Pokémon that I ask you to, then I will battle you." Erika says.

"Alright! Which Pokémon is it?" Red asks, enthusiastically.

"Eevee." She simply states.

"'Eevee?' What's an Eevee?" He asks further.

"That's for you to find out. I'll be waiting for your return." Erika walks back into the house and shuts the door behind her. She left without giving Red a proper apology? She asked everyone else to, but… He won't like that… hopefully he's forgotten about it, or will while tracking down Eevee.

* * *

"I can't find anything about this 'Eevee.' Can you?" Red asks me. We've been searching through books and asking around for the past couple hours, and nothing, so we've decided to head back to the Pokémon Center.

"I haven't been able to find anything either. Maybe Bill knows? He _is _a Pokémon Expert, after all." I suggest.

"You're right! Let's call him up right now!" Red hurries over to the phone, and I follow.

"Bill? Are you there?" Red asks. Looks like he's already dialed the number.

"I sure am! What'cha need me for?" Bill responds.

"Well, the Gym Leader here has said that she won't battle me until I find a Pokémon for her, but neither Philippe nor I can find any info on it! Do you think you could help?" Red explains.

"Sure thing!" Bill happily accepts the offer, and is here in no time at all. Well, much less time than it took us. Took us weeks while it only took him hours? I'm starting to wonder…

"So, do you think you can help us?" Red asks again.

"Depends on what you're looking for."

"Well, Erika's asked us to find a Pokémon called 'Eevee.' Do you think you could help us?" Red explains further.

"Oh wow… An Eevee! That critter's a rare one, yes indeed! Sorry, but all I know is what it looks like!" Bill apologizes.

"No, that's great! It's more than we knew before." I thank him, and he asks if he can continue to help us find it.

"Sure! But, why would you want to help us?" Red asks, puzzled.

"It ain't like I have anything better to do. Why not?" And so our hunt begins.

* * *

"Still nothing! Bill, isn't there anything else you know about this Pokémon?" Red complains.

"Like I said before, nope. But maybe some of my colleagues do! Let me call em' up!" Bill takes out his laptop and calls his fellow Pokémon Fanatics/Researchers. He asks them if they've seen Eevee, or even know anything about it, but none of them do. No wonder why you can get only one; they're rarer than I thought.

"Drats! That's everyone I know and ain't no one seen it!" Bill's frustrated at this point, and so are we.

"We can't give up yet! I can't battle Erika if I don't find this thing!" Red begs.

"Red, how about we head back to the city? Maybe we'll be able to find more clues there." I finally speak. Most of the hunt I've just been hanging back and following the other two.

"Maybe… since we haven't been able to find anything here, I think that's the best course of action." Red agrees, and we head back to the Pokémon Center. We're talking amongst ourselves, and a Nurse Joy walks over to us.

"Oh? You're looking for a Pokémon named 'Eevee?' Well, I heard some men earlier talking about seeing a Pokémon that matches your description perfectly. I wonder if that could be it?" She says.

"Where did they say they saw it?" Red asks, his eagerness back up.

"They said they saw it somewhere near the PokéMart. It isn't that far away; just a couple blocks down." She explains.

"Thanks!" Red shouts behind him as he runs out the door. I'm really getting tired from having to keep up with him day in and day out.

We make it to the PokéMart and start searching.

"How about we all split up and look for it? We'll be able to cover more ground that way." Red suggests.

"Red, could we split up into two groups? Bill looks for it in one direction, and I go with you?" I ask.

"Why do you need me? You're perfectly capable of handling yourself; you've beaten me on multiple occasions!" Red laughs.

"Yes, but we don't know anything about this Pokémon. It could be much stronger than we think." Which, for this, is the case.

"Alright. Let's start heading over there." Red and I go to the east while Bill goes to the west. Red and I search until he spots something.

"Philippe, do you see that?" He asks.

"See what?"

"That!" He points to where he's talking about, and then I see it as well. It's an Eevee alright.

"That's it!" He shouts. He sends out Poliwrath and commands him to attack.

"Poliwrath, Hydro Pump!" Poliwrath learned the move during his training with Green, and boy did the training pay off. The Hydro Pump lands a direct hit on Eevee and knocks it off balance. As soon as it rights itself, it changes. The Eevee evolves into a Jolteon right then and there.

"What happened to it?" Red asks.

"I think it evolved." I answer.

"In the middle of battle? How's that possible?"

"I have no idea! Just, use something that's effective against electric attacks!" I tell him.

"But I don't have any ground Pokémon! Why don't you use Cubone?" He suggests.

"Cubone's still a baby!" I protest.

"He's going to still 'be a baby' until you teach him how to fight!" Red's right… I have to start somewhere. Why not here?

"Cubone, I'm going to ask you to fight, alright?" I say to Cubone. I put him down, and he looks around.

"Quickly! The Pokémon's gaining ground!" Jolteon's running towards us and is just getting faster.

"Cubone, try using Bone Club!" Cubone lifts up the bone that he's been holding and slams it down. By some unknown stroke of luck, the Jolteon had just gotten to Cubone right before he slammed his bone, and it landed right on Jolteon's head. Jolteon quickly backs up, and changes again. This time, into a Vaporeon.

"It changed again!" Red shouts. By the time Jolteon switched into Vaporeon, Bill had heard the commotion and had run to us.

"What's all the yapping for?" He asks.

"Look!" Red points to Vaporeon.

"Is that the lil' varmint? Sure doesn't look like the one it showed on my computer…" He says to himself.

"That's because it evolved mid-battle." I explain.

"Mid-battle? Is that even possible?" He asks.

"Well, this thing did it, so looks like it is." I continue.

"Red, try a grass type!" I shout.

"Alright. Let's try Ivysaur!" He sends out Ivysaur and has him use a Razor Leaf. The leaves cut Vaporeon's body but don't do much damage. Also, just like before, Vaporeon changes again, this time into Flareon.

"See? It just did it again!" Red shouts.

"There's no way to beat this thing if it keeps changing!" Bill says.

"There must be! We just have to look for it!" Red concentrates on Eevee while having Poliwrath, Cubone, and Ivysaur battle.

As Red's looking for a weakness, I control our Pokémon. Someone has to, right? Especially with Cubone being new to this. Eventually, with enough rounds of transformations, Red finally figures out Eevee's weakness.

"That's it! Philippe, when Eevee's about to change, its ears perk up! It must sense something that tells it what kind of attack's going to hit it, so it changes!" Red shouts eagerly.

"Then why does it change _after _it gets hit with the attack? I see what you mean now, but if that were true, wouldn't it be wiser to change before, to lower the damage it takes?" I ask.

"I don't know, but this is it! We just have to cover its ears!" He starts to think of a plan, and so do I.

"That's it! Ivysaur, use Razor Leaf!" Just as I'm about to hit myself in the face from his use of razor leaf, I see something. And that something is: the plan actually worked. The leaves wrap around Eevee's ears and covers them, making it so it can't sense anymore.

"For once that attack actually did something useful." I say, still amazed.

"See? It's not completely useless!" He says.

"Now, can you get Poliwrath to finish it? Looks like since Eevee can't tell what attacks are coming towards it it's reverted to a normal Eevee again. Which, by the way, according to your PokéDex is a normal type." I've been holding onto it for a while, mainly because Red wants to help me with my studies of Pokémon. I've been reading the previous entries that he's recorded over and over again, as well as making new ones.

"Alright! Poliwrath, Focus Punch!" Poliwrath winds up a punch and unleashes it on Eevee. It knocks it out right away. Red walks over to take a closer look, and spots something peculiar.

"Hey, Bill, could you come take a look at this?" Red calls over. Bill goes up to Red and looks at where he's pointing to.

"What do you think it could be?" He continues.

"Well, I'm not really sure what it is. All I do know is that it ain't normal. I reckon it's what gave the critter its powers in the first place!" He explains.

"That's what I thought…" Red mumbles to himself. He picks Eevee up and starts heading towards the Gym.

"Red, where are you going?" I call after him.

"I want to know exactly what Erika knows about this thing. She's the one who asked me to catch it, so she must know more about it." He explains while still walking away.

* * *

"I want to know exactly why you wanted me to catch Eevee, and I want to know right now!" Red shouts as he barges through the Gym's doors. Bill and I follow.

"Red, is all this really necessary? The screaming and yelling?" I ask.

"Yes, it is! I want to know why someone would do this to a Pokémon! Forcing it to change to become stronger…" He says.

"Well, I don't think the Miss is here. We should really be getting it to a Pokémon Center, fast." Bill suggests.

"Not until I find Erika." Red continues looking around the gym, while I sit and wait until he's ready to leave. I plop Cubone down on my lap and start caressing the skull on his head.

"Cubone, you really did well for your first battle. Well, considering the only thing you had to do was bonk the thing with your bone." I chuckle at the last part. I think Cubone misunderstood me, because after he starts whacking me as well.

"I don't mean start up again!" I say as I block the bone with my hands.

"What's this?" Bill says from across the room. I get up, pick up Cubone, and go to him. Red does the same.

"What's what?" Red asks.

"Well, this here book's titled 'Eevee Reconstruction.' It must have something to do with Eevee!" Gee, Bill. Whatever could've given you that idea?

"It says, 'Eevee is a very rare Pokémon possessing the ability to evolve into any of three, highly distinct, advanced Pokémon forms. If an Eevee can be reconstructed so that it can transform, rapidly among all three of those forms…'" Bill's cut off at the end by a very feminine voice.

"'…Then it will serve as a very powerful weapon.'" The voice finishes.

"It looks like you've managed to successfully capture Eevee. Congratulations. At first I had my doubts with your rashness, but in the end you've proven yourself." Erika says.

"W-what? You!" Red stammers.

"Yes, me. If I recall correctly, you challenged me to a Gym Battle earlier, correct? Well, I said that to battle me, you would have to prove yourself. I think that you've proven yourself more than enough from the looks of Eevee. I don't think any further battling is necessary. Here, take this badge." Erika holds out the Rainbow Badge, but Red doesn't budge.

"You asked me to catch Eevee just so you could have your ultimate weapon back? Is that what this was all about? If so, then you're sick! And you're even sicker if you think that I'll just take your badge and be on my way! There's no way I'm handing Eevee back to you!" Red shouts. His anger is rising, but this time he's in control enough to not swear. That makes me feel relieved.

"So, you don't want this badge?" She asks.

"No, I want it, but only after I've won it fair and square through a battle!" Red sends out three of his Pokémon: Poliwrath, Ivysaur and Mankey. Erika in turn does the same, her Pokémon being Tangela, Bellsprout and Vileplume.

"So, a battle is what you want, hm? Well, in that case, a battle is what you'll get. Looks like it's going to be a three on three match. Tangela, use Vine Whip!" Erika begins the battle, and Red jumps right in as well. Wow. Erika seems so much different now than she did earlier. I guess that's because we know her "true" motives.

"Ivysaur, Vine Whip as well!" The four vines clash with each other in midair, each trying to outmaneuver the others. This seems to be getting nowhere fast.

"Ivysaur, keep at it! Try pulling it closer!" Ivysaur starts to move back, trying to drag Tangela, but it doesn't seem to be working.

"Gah! This isn't working! Ivysaur, return! Go, Poliwrath!" Red's switched his Pokémon, and Erika does the same. They seem to be copying a lot of each other. Anyways, Erika sends out Bellsprout.

"So, switching Pokémon already? And for a Water type as well? Not a very smart move." Erika scolds.

"It doesn't matter what type Poliwrath is, he's still going to beat you!" Red has Poliwrath use Doubleslap, which makes as much sense as it does in the games. It's called _Double_slap, yet it hits more the twice.

Poliwrath keeps this up until Bellsprout looks like it's about to faint, then Red has Poliwrath charge up for a Hydro Pump. Why, _why _would he use a water attack against a grass Pokémon. At least it's a strong attack instead of Water Gun.

While Poliwrath's charging, Erika has Bellsprout counterattack.

"Bellsprout, Mimic!" Bellsprout does the same exact thing that Poliwrath had done before, except this time instead of using fists, it's using its leaves. Looks like I was right. They _are_ copying each other.

"Poliwrath, come back! Looks like it's up to you now Mankey." Red sends him out, and Erika switches again, this time for Vileplume.

"Now it's down to One VS One… This will be interesting. Vileplume, Sleep Powder!" Vileplume sprays out powder from the center of its flower, and covers Mankey. He's soon put to sleep.

"Come on, Mankey! Wake up!" Red shouts.

"Vileplume, Energy Ball." Vileplume starts creating an orb of energy on top of its flower that continues to grow larger. Eventually it grows large enough to be considered ready, and is fired at Mankey. It hits him directly in the chest, and he's knocked over.

"Mankey! Get up!" Red pleads.

"So, where's your arrogance now?" She taunts. Red has nothing to say as he watches Mankey faint.

"You did well, considering your emotions were high. Most people cannot keep a straight head when they're how you are. I think that if the battle were under normal conditions, you might've won. I will look forward to our next match. Oh, and, by the way. Since you _did _capture Eevee, I won't have any special conditions for you next time." She points over to me when she mentions Eevee, I having taken care of it while Red was battling.

"Oh… it seems the poor creature is near its end. Such a shame. Tis' but the fate of a live experiment." She says.

"W-what? No…!" Red starts. Erika interrupts him.

"It'd be best to put the creature out of its misery. Here, let me have her." Erika starts walking over to me, but Red runs inbetween us.

"No! I won't let you kill her! Use her and then kill her once you're done, you're sick! She's going to get better, I just know it!" Red shouts with determination.

"You're really that persistent. Very well. Vileplume, Stun Spore." Vileplume starts to scatter spores all over us, but we make it out of its range on time. I have a harder time due to having to carry both Cubone and Eevee with me.

"Philippe, help me!" I give a little nod and tap Gastly's pokéball.

"Gastly, Shadow Ball!" Gastly sends out an orb of shadows and it hits Vileplume. Since Vileplume's obviously much stronger, it doesn't do much.

"Ivysaur, start charging!" I wonder how much damage Solarbeam's going to do to a grass type.

"Vileplume, Petal Dance!" Vileplume starts spinning around in circles all while sending out pink petals. Just as logical as Razor Leaf; Leaves and Petals.

Somehow the leaves hit Gastly and knocked him out then and there, so I quickly return him to his pokéball. I send out Pikachu next.

"Pikachu, Discharge!" Pikachu sends out a flare of electricity towards Vileplume, and it seems to have stunned it, giving Ivysaur enough time to finish charging.

"Ivysaur, unleash Solarbeam!" Ivysaur sends the immense amount of energy soaring towards Vileplume, and it's a direct hit. Vileplume slumps over, defeated. Must've been a critical, if those even exist here.

"My, my. You two work excellent as a team. Even though your Pokémon didn't work directly together, you gave Red enough time for Ivysaur to charge. And to think, you worked that hard to protect a Pokémon you care about." Erika says as she continues walking over to me. She returns Vileplume to her pokéball and takes out another item; a spray this time. She sprays it on Eevee before Red can stop her, and explains.

"There, now Eevee should be feeling much better. I'm sorry that I can't reverse the implant. You'll have to find out how to do that on your own, if you wish. I apologize for my rudeness, Red, Philippe. You two really are as good of a team as they say. Brock and Misty have told me about you two, but I couldn't just believe their words. I had to see for myself." She explains.

"Oh, and, by the way. It wasn't I who modified Eevee like this. No, it was the work of another organization. The Gym Leaders had caught word of an experiment running lose, and the last they had heard of it it was spotted somewhere near Celadon. They contacted me immediately. I couldn't leave my Gym unattended, so I had you two find it for me. Because of that, the Eevee is now safe." She continues.

"Wait, is this organization…" Red begins…

"Team Rocket?" I finish.

"Why, yes it is. How do you know of them?" She asks, now puzzled.

"We've had quite a few run-ins with them before. And by 'quite a few,' I mean several." I explain.

"That's just great! You see, we've been trying to fight Team Rocket for some time now, but we haven't made any progress. To be able to stand any sort of chance against them, we need to know about their technology, their plans, their goals, and their fighting techniques. We need a trainer to be able to learn how they act. Although, it'd be better if we had two instead of one…" She hints.

"Really? You mean it? You want us to help?" Red asks, excited.

"Yes. That would be excellent if you would." Erika confirms as she pins the Rainbow Badge to Red's shirt.

"Alright! Count us in!" Red says enthusiastically.

"I appreciate the offer, but I really can't stay much longer. I've been away from my lab for far too long now." I had completely forgotten about Bill in the background!

"Bill! Hahaha, I had completely forgotten about you! You do know you could've left any time after we had started the battle, right?" Red laughs.

"Yeah. I just wanted to see how things played out." He states.

"Well, now that you have, you can get back to your precious lab." Red says.

"Alrighty." Bill says good-bye, then leaves. We take that as our queue to leave as well.

* * *

"Now I really know why you wanted to leave this city earlier today. There's too much happening." I sigh as I lay on the bed in the Pokémon Center.

"Yeah… I wish that we could just take a break from all of this. Team Rocket never rests." Red says.

"Well, how about we do just that? If we run into Team Rocket, we run into Team Rocket. If we don't, then that's great. There must be some places around here that we could go that wouldn't attract too much attention to ourselves." I suggest.

"Yeah! But, how about we start searching tomorrow? It's getting late, and we've been running around all day." Red suggests back.

"Alright." I simply state. We both get ready for bed, then drift off to sleep.


	21. King of the Safari Zone

Author's Note:

Much more to say this chapter. First off: Happy Birthday Red! I know I'm a bit late on saying this (It's currently 12:03am, August 9th), but I still want to wish him one. I wanted to write a Birthday Chapter, but that wouldn't make any sense. Since Red's 11 during the entire first arc, it'd be weird having him turn 12. Just, know that I haven't forgotten the day. Secondly, with this chapter marks the 80,000 word mark; only 20,000 until 100k! Thirdly, please tell me if anything in the chapter seems off and/or weird. And lastly, I'm only going to ask you for comments and reviews on the story itself. I'm not at the point of begging, but if I don't get anymore soon, that might just happen.

Disclaimer:

I don't own Pokémon or anything related to Pokémon; Nintendo does.

* * *

"Next time I let you choose where we're going, please stop me."

We had been walking for weeks now, so of course I'm tired. Why, _why _did Red have to choose somewhere so far away? There has to be some attractions in Cerulean, Vermillion, Saffron, even Lavender Town, but no. He had to choose Fuchsia. We had to walk all the way through routes 16, 17 and 18.

"Why? I found us a place, and it sounds great!" Red says enthusiastically.

"You did find a place, but why did that place have to be so far from where we were previously? Why couldn't it have been any closer?" I continue.

"Think. The Safari Zone is said to have many different types of Pokémon, so just imagine what info we'll be able to record into the PokéDex! And I might even be able to find some more for myself…" He explains.

"Yes, yes, of course it's for you to find more Pokémon. That's all you ever think about. A break is a break; it's supposed to be completely different from what we're normally doing: Catching, Raising, Training, Battling." He. Just. Won't. Listen.

"Ehehe… But come on. This'll be a great experience!" I finally give due to the fact that I know that once he's made up his mind, there's no changing it. He's always like that.

A little while longer and Red breaks the silence.

"Look up ahead! I think I can see the city!" He's right. It's not as large… well, it's large, but more spread out than where we've been. There's very few buildings; I can easily spot the Pokémon Center and PokéMart, as well as the Safari Zone Red's been talking about.

"Let's see if we can find a guide for the Safari. I don't want you getting us lost by running off." I say.

"Philippe, you're really being a downer. What's up?" Red asks, concerned.

"It's just… I'm tired. And I don't do well when I'm tired." I'm always cranky when I don't have enough sleep.

"Well, you can sleep during the tour. I'll record the info and everything else. You just rest." Gee. Thanks a lot. You bring us here for a vacation, then want me to sleep during the tour. At least he's trying to care.

"Alright. Just, wake me up if you need me."

We continue our way through the city, rest up our Pokémon at the Center, and head to the Safari Zone.

"So, you two kids want a tour? Shouldn't you have brought your parents with you?" The man behind the counter asks.

"We're not too young! We're perfectly capable of handling ourselves. Besides, if anything were to happen to us, it'd be on your property, so it'd be _your _fault. Besides, don't you want our money?" Red responds.

"Well, you got me there." Red hands over the money, and the man explains to us that we have to leave our pokéballs here for safe keeping. We won't be needing them in the Safari Zone. He then leaves us to read the rules of the zone.

"What?! You mean we can't catch the Pokémon?" Red says in shock.

"I wonder why. If we were allowed to catch the Pokémon, then there wouldn't be any left." At least that's how it is on Earth. That's why we have protected areas.

"I guess you're right… At least we can still find more data!" Red perks back up again.

"Why the sudden interest in filling the PokéDex? You've never wanted to fill it so badly." He usually has me do all the research; he just battles.

"I think it's because I feel like I've been slacking off. You've been doing all the work in that regard, and I think I should start doing some of it." I think Red's finally becoming a little more mature. Let's see how long it lasts.

"This way." The man returns and leads us out back down some steps. I hand him Cubone (He says he'll drop it off at the Pokémon Center) and follow Red. At the end we make it to a raft with two Pidgeys perched on the railing.

"Hello, passengers. We Pidgebot 1 and Pidgebot 2 will be your tour guides for this Safari trip. We'll show you all the different kinds of Pokémon you'll be able to see here; some you might never be able to see elsewhere!" One of them speaks. Red and I both jump, not expecting it.

"Cool! Talking Pidgeys!" I guess Red hasn't seen many robots.

"Red, those aren't live Pidgeys. They're robots." I explain.

"Oh…" He says, disappointed.

"Now, let's get started, shall we?" The second Pidgebot says. The raft begins moving at a leisurely pace, and we're off.

Not too long after the raft's left the gate we see our first Pokémon.

"Wow! Look Philippe! It's a Kanghaskan, just like the one we saw back near Pallet!" Red exclaims.

"Yes, what a Pokémon." I say, not really interested. Since Cubone's not with me, I'm finally able to relax. It's not as if I don't want Cubone, it's just that he's a handful. Literally. I haven't been complaining much about it to Red, but while he's sound asleep every night I have to wake up and make sure that Cubone's alright. I think he's as hard to take care of as a human baby.

"There's a Dragonair!" Red shouts a little while later.

"What a rare Pokémon." I wonder if there are any Dragonite here?

"And an Exeggutor!" I'm starting to fall asleep… The rocking back and forth of the raft, combined with the sound of the water makes me even more sleepy…

"Philippe, what's coming off of the leaves?" He points towards the Exeggutor.

"I think… that it's Sleep Powder… if it is, then… that's good… because I really do need some sleep… Wake me up when the tour's over…" I fall asleep quickly.

* * *

I wake up to a start. I feel something slam into me and I'm tossed overboard. I see Red trying to keep himself above water, and he's doing a fine job of it. I, on the other hand, am not. The longer this keeps up, the harder it is to keep my head above water. Eventually I black out and am carried along by the current.

I wake up in who knows how long on the bank of the river. I take a quick look around and see that a Pidgebot followed me.

"So, you're finally awake. I didn't know how long you'd be out for." It says.

"How long _was _I out for?" I ask.

"Oh, not long. About half an hour at most." That's a relief… I know that Red's somewhere else, because I don't see him anywhere. I hope that the other Pidgebot is with him.

"So, where should we head now? I know that you know the entire zone inside out; you were programmed that way, right?" I continue to ask, wanting to find Red as soon as possible.

"You're a lot smarter than your friend, you know that?" The Pidgebot responds.

"No, not smarter. Just a lot more rational. Red's one to act before he thinks. That's why I think we make such a great pair. I cover his faults and he covers mine." I explain.

"I think it would be hard to work if you're so different, but I guess that's what makes it work. But, back on track. Yes, you are correct. I know this place in and out. Follow me." The Pidgebot begins flying and I follow. I keep wondering about what happened that made us get thrown overboard; if I know Red, he did something completely idiotic and irresponsible.

* * *

We wander around the Safari for over an hour, according to the Pidgebot, and we've seen neither Pidgebot 1 nor Red. I'm really starting to get worried; what will he do now that I'm not with him? I'm usually the one who keeps him from acting _too _rashly. I guess it was my fault for falling asleep on the raft. Or the Exeggutor's fault for using Sleep Powder.

After some time we begin to hear a loud noise coming from the other side of the wall of trees we've stumbled across. Loud noise = Something that involves Red. Or, that's how it's been happening so far. I begin to run and Pidgebot begins to fly faster, and soon we're on the other side, face to back with a giant Nidoking. If I know him, I bet Red's on the other side not knowing what to do. I sneak around the Nidoking, without alerting him of my presence, and learn that my hunch is correct. Red's looking around not knowing what to do or where to go, and he spots me. I guess Nidoking's noticed us as well, because he turns towards me and roars.

"Philippe! Look out!" Gee, I wonder why? I begin running towards Red, the Pidgebot following closely behind, and all four of us try to escape the rampaging Pokémon. For some reason one of the Pidgebots lags behind while the Nidoking's catching up to it.

"Hurry! Fly faster!" Red shouts behind him. When the Pidgebot doesn't respond, Red completely turns around and sees that the Pidgebot is on the ground, still.

"Gah!" Is all Red can say. He does something that I can honestly say I would've never guessed for him to do. He stops running, turns around again, and starts running to the Pidgebot, running _towards _the Nidoking while doing so.

"Red, what are you doing?!" I scream.

"I'm not leaving him behind! He was there for me when I was thrown overboard, he was there for me when I first made my mistake, he was there for me when the Nidoking started chasing me; he's been there since all of this started!" Red screams, all while picking up the Pidgebot and starting to run towards us again. The Nidoking's now only a few feet behind him, and I fear that he won't make it. Now, it's my turn to do something completely unexpected.

I pick up a rock and throw it at the Nidoking. What came over me that compelled me to do so, I don't know. Actually, I do. I know that I want to protect Red, so… I guess the impulse to keep him safe overpowered _my _rational thinking. The Nidoking stopped for a second, looked around, spotted where the rock had come from, and started chasing me instead of him. I continue to run with the second Pidgebot while the Nidoking runs past Red and focuses on me. Well, if anything happens to me, at least it was to protect Red.

…Wow. Am I seriously that stupid? There's so many better options that I could've taken during situations in the past that it doesn't really surprise me. It's taken me this long to realize that I could just jump into the river besides me. Sure, Nidokings can learn surf, but it'd be better than exerting all of my energy trying to run. I veer to the side and do just that. Red realizes what I'm trying to do before I do it, so he follows my actions. By the time the Nidoking has spotted us being swept away by the current, we're already long gone and he can no longer see us. I really hope he doesn't chase us. Or, if he does, he doesn't find us before we make it out of here.

* * *

"Red! What the… What… You know what, I'm just going to say it… WHAT THE FUCK WHERE YOU THINKING?" I shout. I've never sworn in my life, but if there were to ever be a good time for it, it'd be now.

"Philippe, I've never heard you swear!" Red exclaims.

"Do you think I give a damn about that? Do you know what you did? Do you know what could've happened? You went back for a _robot._ A machine!" I continue to rant.

"They're not just machines! They're actual creatures! They can think and talk and hear just like we can!" Red counters.

"Yes, but they're _mechanical. _They can be repaired. We can't. If Pidgebot's wings were torn apart, they could be replaced. If your arm was torn from its socket, it can't be." I explain.

"Red… please… don't ever do anything like that… ever again. You know how you felt after you fetched me from the ocean, after Surge threw us both overboard? How you thought that you could lose me right that second? Well, that's how I felt when I saw you run back towards the Nidoking. I thought that you would never be able to outrun it, and that you would be… dead… I don't want to lose my… friend." I say, now exhausted from the rant.

"Philippe, I'm… sorry. I didn't think… I didn't know…" Red begins, but can't finish.

"I know. That's exactly my point. You _don't _think. That's why I'm always worried. Part of the reason why I'm always tired is because of me having to take care of Cubone 24/7, but… another reason is because I have to take care of _you _24/7. It feels like I'm taking care of two children. I always have to watch out for what you might do or what stunt you might pull. I'm always having to worry about what could happen to you." I finish.

"And… WOULD YOU TWO MIND?" I yell, suddenly realizing that the two Pidgebots were listening to our entire conversation. They quickly look away and pretend not to have noticed us.

"Let's just get out of this death trap." I say. I get up and Red does the same. The two Pidgebots fly in front of us and begin leading us out.

"So, how much farther is the exit?" Red asks.

"Well, we have to take a different route now if we want to avoid the Nidoking." Pidgebot 1 answers.

"Which reminds me… Whatever did Red do to provoke the Nidoking in the first place?" I give Red a death glare when I ask that, and he looks away sheepishly.

"He threw a pokéball, trying to catch one of the two Nidokings that were battling each other, but instead caught the thing they were battling _for; _their mate, a Nidoqueen." Pidgebot 1 explains.

"Of course. You'd almost get yourself killed for a Pokémon." Unbelieveable. For some reason… I feel as if I'm getting more agitated every minute.

I don't hear Red's response to that, so I turn around and… I don't know what to think. I don't know if I should laugh uncontrollably or try to save him. I see Red hanging, suspended in mid-air by the tentacles of a Victreebell. Well, they're more like vines, but… tentacles make it all the funnier. The first thought that comes into my perverted mind is "Tentacle Rape." In the end, I decide to worry.

"R-Red! Pidgebots, what do I do? The guide didn't leave us with any Pokémon!" I exclaim.

"Look by the Victreebell's base!" I do as I'm told and see what they're talking about. When Red was lifted, he dropped the pokéball that he had dropped. Must be the Nidoqueen he had captured earlier.

"Do you really think that I'd be able to make it there and back before I'm hoisted up as well?" I ask.

"It's your only option! Either that or Red gets digested by the beast." I guess I really have no choice then. I begin to run towards the Victreebell and it decides to do the same thing. It begins walking (Or… slithering? I don't really know) away, back into the forest. I make it to the pokéball, pick it up, and continue chasing after it. I pick up the hat that Red had dropped along the way.

By the time I catch up to the Victreebell its kids are already squeeling at the sight of a meal. No, bad Weepinbell! The only one that's going to be eating Red is me!

…I did not just think that. I did _not_ just think that.

Red's tied up and hung by a tree along with the other dozens of Pokémon that the Victreebell has caught.

"You've got to get Red out of there, fast! This is the Bellsprout, Weepinbell and Victreebell's evolution ritual!" One Pidgebot explains.

"You mean I'm going to be their evolutionary meal?!" Red shouts, suddenly alarmed. As if he wasn't before.

"Red! I don't think that one Nidoqueen's going to be able to stop all of these Pokémon! Don't you have anything that could help?" I ask.

"I might, but as you might not have noticed, I'm a bit tied up at the moment!" He shouts.

"Gah! Think.. Aha!" I send out the Nidoqueen, fully knowing that she's not going to be able to fight all of the Pokémon off herself. But I have another plan in mind…

"Nidoqueen, I know that we've just met and all, but do you think you could do your mating call?" I ask the Pokémon. For some reason she understands and obeys my command, and begins the mating call. Off in the distance both Red and I hear the Nidoking's respond, and then hear them crashing through the trees. I'm not sure if this was a good idea or not, but it was the only one that I had that might possibly work. If the Nidoking are able to reach us before the Pokémon eat Red, then they might be able to distract them long enough for the Pidgebots to chew through the vines holding Red up.

Not long after we hear the Nidoking we're able to see them as well. They completely flatten the trees as they run through and suddenly stop, spotting all of the Bellsprout and Weepinbell. They look around, see the Nidoqueen completely surrounded by them, and start to destroy everything in their path to get to her. The Pidgebots chew through the vines, Red falls into my arms (And I fall to the ground due to his weight; not that he's fat or anything), and we begin to run. Before I get out of range I return Nidoqueen to her pokéball and hope we're able to put enough distance between us and the Nidokings before they notice.

It looks like all the noise that the Nidokings created while rampaging through the forest had caused many other Pokémon to awaken, because they're all behind us fighting as well. Good thing we're now far away from the epicenter of the fight.

"Phew… we made it. I really hope we don't run into any more Pokémon." Usually I jinx things by saying those kinds of things, but this time I didn't. The Pidgebots continue to lead us out and we soon make it to the entrance of the Safari Zone.

"So, how was your tour?" The guide asks us on our way out the door.

"It was… interesting, to say the least." I respond.

"It was the best thing ever! I wish we could go again!" Red grunts at that last part due to me elbowing him in the stomach.

"No. We. Do. Not." I say, emphasizing each word.


	22. Enter Giovanni

Author's Note:

School's starting soon which is the reason why the update's are coming slower; not a good reason, but it's good enough for me. I'll try not to let time between updates grow too long. Read and Review, enjoy.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Pokémon or anything related to it. Nintendo does.

* * *

"Philippe, it's time to get up!" Does he always have to wake me up so early? Why can't he just let me sleep?

"But I'm tired…" I groan.

"You've already wasted half the day sleeping!" He persists.

"So you're calling 'Waking up at 8am' having half the day wasted?" I say.

"Oh… it's only 8am? It feels much later than that." He rubs the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Which is why you should check the clock before waking someone up." I say, now annoyed.

"Well, if it's really that early, how about we both get some more sleep?" He slides into bed next to me and cuddles. I start to blush furiously and turn around.

"W-why do you have to sleep in my bed?" I stammer.

"Why make the trip back to my bed when yours is right here?" He asks.

"Because it's only a few feet away!" I answer.

"Mhm… whatever…" He falls back asleep in a matter of seconds. He sure is cute when he sleeps… Bah! Stop thinking like that! Since he's holding onto me there's not much I can do besides fall asleep as well.

* * *

"So, looks like you and Red are having a fun time." Mew asks.

"We're not 'doing anything!'" I shout defensively.

"Suuuuure you aren't. Anyways, nice save with the Nidoking. As you may have guessed, many of the life-threatening occurrences will have to remain, and with you in the mix, it'll make it harder for you both to get out unscathed. I can't help much with that." Gee, what help she is.

"I am too help! Who do you think got you here in the first place?" She argues, reading my mind.

"I'm not really sure; you said it was all the Legendaries earlier, but now you're talking as if it was all you. Who _did _bring me here?" I inquire.

"Um… Well… you see… Aha! Well, if you really want to know who brought you here and why, more than just 'Red needing you to save himself,' then you'll just have to listen to more of the story!" Fine… I just really want to know now!

"I ended with codes last time… So, you know that everything has to have a code. However, there are two different kinds of codes: Pokémon codes and Human codes. Legendaries create the Pokémon codes while Guardians create the Human codes. That's the only way we can truly tell what a being is." She explains.

"Wait a minute… I have a question on that." I stop her.

"Shoot."

"So, if Guardians make Human codes and Legendaries make Pokémon codes… Well, you were the one who brought me here, right?" I ask for confirmation.

"It was the other Legendaries and myself, yes." She answers.

"And, you were the one who changed my body to make it so I could survive here, right?" I continue to ask.

"Yes, I was as well. Why are you asking?" She counters.

"If Guardians make Humans, and Legendaries make Pokémon… And you were the one who changed my body… Does that make me, technically, a Pokémon?" The look of sheer horror that spread across her face was too hilarious not to laugh at. I know it's mean of me to do so, but her face kept changing from shock, to fear, back to shock; basically utter hysteria.

"W-what… what did you just say?" She quietly asks.

"If Legendaries make Pokémon codes, and you changed me, wouldn't that mean you gave me a Pokémon code to be able to survive here?" I ask in another way.

"Um… yes… technically." She says, now calming down a little.

"Why did you seem so scared when I asked you?" I decide to ask.

"Well, you weren't really supposed to figure that out for a long time… but, I guess it's ok for you to know. Just, don't look into it any further. Please…" She begs.

"Alright. Well, now that I know that, is there anything I should watch out for? Like, Red accidentally catching me in a pokéball? Or him accidentally recording my data into the PokéDex?" I joke, trying to bring her back to normality.

"Hehe… don't worry, I didn't screw up that badly. On the outside you're completely human. Codes are only 'visible' on the most basic level of a creature's being." She explains.

"That's good. I wouldn't want to have to lie my way out of that. Actually, how _would _I lie my way out of that? I couldn't!" I say.

"I bet you could. You've been doing so well with it so far." She responds.

"But not for that. Me being a_ Pokémon? _How could I talk my way out of that?" It's funny to think of it. Red catching me in a ball and sending me out to battle other Pokémon…

"I don't know. Anyways, nothing like that can happen, so you don't have to worry about it." That's a relief.

"Alright. So, can you continue the story about the origin?" I ask.

"Sure. So, I've just told you that there are both Pokémon and Human codes. Legendaries can't track down Humans and Guardians can't track down Pokémon because they've created the codes for their own species, not the other. This is why the Guardians can't track you down even if they wanted to, and I couldn't track Red down even if I wanted to. It's really just for balancing the power between the two groups." She explains.

"Alright, I understand that. The thing I don't understand is how are you part Human right now? If you're a Legendary, then shouldn't you be a Pokémon? How are you able to take the form of a Human?" I've been wondering about this since the first time I met her.

"In the beginning, all was the same. I'm not talking about the beginning of this world, but the beginning of us: the Legendaries and Guardians. At first we were _all_ the same. However, we eventually came to argue over which is better: The world running naturally, or us interfering. At this point the idea of running a world ourselves was just that: an idea. We had been observing other deities and how they decided to rule their worlds. Some let nature run its course and didn't intervene at all while others made them what they wanted them to be. One half of our group of deities wanted the world to be run by nature; we'd just sit back and watch, while the other half wanted to change it to fit their personal desires. The group that wanted everything to be natural became the Legendaries and the group that wanted to intervene became the Guardians. We came to an agreement that we'd let both of our wants happen. Nature would rule everything, thus the 'Laws of Nature' coming into play, and the Guardians would be allowed to intervene with the world. As long as it doesn't mess up the very fabric of the world." She continues to explain.

"I think that's good for now. I'll tell you more in a little while. Now, I think you should wake up. Red's going to pounce on you if you don't." And that he does.

I feel something pressing on my chest and see Red in my face.

"Gah! Do you always have to do that?" I ask, heart still pounding. Mew warned me about it just a second before it happened, so I didn't have any time to think.

"Well, it's a sure-fire way to get you up! And this time I checked the clock." Is he trying to be funny?

"Fine… I'll get up." He crawls off of me and lets me up, get changed, brush my teeth, take care of Cubone, everything I normally do. Oh, by the way, I've finally gotten Cubone comfortable enough to get him to go inside of a pokéball. This makes him much easier to carry around; he was getting a bit heavy.

We thank Nurse Joy (Seriously, the Pokémon Centers here let you stay for free if you really need a place to stay. That might be because we're kids, but still), head out the door and to the PokéMart to restock on our supplies. We see a man talking to the cashier, and Red can't help but eavesdrop.

"Do you know of a place where I could get one?" The voice sounds familiar…

"No, I'm afraid not. That place has rarely ever been searched, so no one's made a map of the interior yet." The cashier responds. I'm still thinking of who the first man could be…

"Oh. Well, that's alright. I'll just look elsewhere then." The man turns around and almost bumps into us.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't see you there." The man apologizes. When I take a look at his face I freeze up immediately. I knew I'd be meeting him soon, but I still wasn't expecting it. Giovanni.

"That's alright mister. So, where did you say you were going again?" Red asks. Always butting into other people's business.

"I was looking for a map of Diglett's Cave. It's said to be full of fossils, but no one's ever been brave enough to go searching. Heh, I guess that's why no one has a map." He's really faking it well. The kindness, that is.

"Sounds cool! Can we go?" I have to follow Red on this, so I just nod my head.

"It'll be dangerous though! And, speaking of danger, didn't your parents ever teach you not to talk to strangers?" Yeah, Red.

"You're not strange at all! So, can we?" I can't help but laugh at his forwardness.

"Well, if you insist. Diglett's Cave is east of Vermillion City, so it's a long ways away. Are you sure you want to tag along?" Giovanni asks. Dropping the "Shouldn't you be with your parents?" thing so quickly?

"Of course!"

* * *

"Ughhhhhhhhhhhh… Are we there yet?" Red whines. Giovanni _did _warn you that it'd be a long walk, Red.

"We're almost there." Giovanni chuckles. If I didn't know any better I'd say Giovanni was an extremely kind man.

"There, up ahead. Do you see the opening?" He points towards an opening in the mountain we've been walking beside. Well, mini-mountain.

"Finally! We're here!" Red shouts enthusiastically.

"You do know that we still have to walk all the way through Diglett's Cave, don't you Red?" He immediately becomes depressed once more.

"If you two want to take a break, we could always stop in Vermillion City to restock. I think we're almost out of supplies." Red couldn't say yes any faster and we hit the Pokémon Center to heal up. We got bored along the way so we fought many wild Pokémon, as well as Red catching a few more for the Pokédex.

"So, what do you think of mister?" Heh, he still doesn't know Giovanni's name.

"He seems… different." I respond, not wanting to lie whatsoever.

"What do you mean by 'different?'" Red asks.

"He's not like most of the adults that we've met. Excluding Brock, Misty and Erika. I don't consider them 'adults.'" I respond.

"You're right. He's much kinder than them!" If only he knew the truth.

"I think he should be done shopping by now. Why don't we check up on him?" I suggest. We both head out of the Pokémon Center and to the PokéMart.

"So, are you two ready to continue?" Giovanni asks as he walks out.

"Yep! Did you find a map here?" Red asks.

"No, not here either. I guess that's a good thing though; the less people that have explored the cave, the more fossils for us!" He says, trying to get Red more excited.

"Then let's go!" Red starts running back to the cave entrance, and Giovanni and I have a hard time keeping up.

* * *

"It's so dark. Can't you do something?" Red complains.

"Pikachu, light up the way so Red can stop whining." I ask.

"I'm not whining!" Yes you are.

"Alright, alright. You're not whining." I don't want to argue right now. Even though I've been able to keep up for most of the day, I'm starting to feel tired.

Giovanni moves closer to me and strikes up a conversation.

"Do you two always argue like this?" He asks.

"Yes, we do. It's usually over something stupid. Nothing major." I answer.

"I see… so, what are you to Red?" Awkward question time. Yay!

"What do you mean 'what am I?'" I repeat the question.

"Are you a friend? Sibling? What are you?" Why does everyone want to know? And, why is Giovanni nosy all of a sudden?

"I'm just a friend." I say.

"You don't sound too happy about that." I guess I let out a sigh at the end.

"It's just… it's nothing." I don't really want to get into the details with Giovanni right now. Actually, I don't want to get into the details with him ever. This _is_ Giovanni we're talking about.

"If you don't want to talk about it then that's fine. It's just, I know what it feels like to have something on my chest and not get rid of it. It'd be best if you talked about it with someone else. I know we've just met, but I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of each other." You've got that right.

"Yeah… I've been trying to talk with him about it, but I'm just not getting anywhere." I explain.

"Yes. Well, I think we best be catching up to your friend before he gets lost." Giovanni points out that Red's been out of sight, and we begin to walk faster.

"He usually does." I chuckle.

We finally catch up to Red to see him sitting on a boulder, resting.

"What took you guys so long? I've been waiting forever!" He stretches his arms and legs and falls backwards. I laugh for a bit then rush to see if he's ok.

"Red, you do have to be more careful. And, please don't go ahead without us. You won't be able to see without Pikachu." I explain. I _really _feel like his mom now. Even though I've never met her.

"Yeah, I know. I just want to find some fossils!" So would I.

"Why the sudden interest?" I ask.

"For the PokéDex!" Here we go again.

"Red, that's my job. Your job is to train hard and beat the gym leaders. If you ever wish to compete in the League, you're going to have to have a lot more training." I actually kind of like recording data for the PokéDex; it makes me feel as if I'm accomplishing something.

"But Professor Oak assigned me the task!" He complains.

"Hold on a moment. Did you two say that Red's going for all eight Gym Badges?" Giovanni interrupts.

"Yeah! I've already gotten three! Here, look!" Red takes out the three badges that he's earned so far and shows them to Giovanni.

"Wow… three already! And at such a young age! You must be quite the trainer!" He praises.

"Hehe… Well, it's all thanks to the training I get with Philippe!" At the sound of my name Giovanni's eyes widen a bit, but quickly return to their normal size.

"You two have done a great job then. Philippe's right, however. You'd need much more training before you'd have a chance at beating any of the stronger gyms." And he'd need to catch many more types.

"Oh? Do you know any of the other leaders? What're they like?" Red asks enthusiastically.

"I know of one. He's supposed to be really tough to beat. He's the leader of the Viridian Gym." Giovanni explains.

"Wasn't that place closed when we were there Philippe?" Red turns to me.

"Yeah; it's because the leader wasn't there." And I now know where he is.

And now we're back to the awkward silence that usually follows the end of a conversation. We continue walking in complete silence until we see a light at the end of the cave.

"I think I can see the exit!" Red exclaims. He starts running towards the opening and Giovanni and I follow.

"I'm glad to finally be out of that cave, but I'm a bit disappointed that we didn't find any fossils." I say.

"What do you mean we didn't find any fossils? Some of the rocks that we picked up along the way could have something hidden within." Giovanni explains.

"I highly doubt that." I tell him.

"You're a true pessimist, you know that?" Red says.

"You actually used a big word correctly! I'm so proud of you Red!" He blushes and starts to get angry.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Red shouts.

"Nothing, nothing… I'm sorry Red. I don't think straight when I'm tired." I know I'm using this excuse a lot lately, but it's the truth.

"Oh, I forgot." He blushes. I think he remembers about when he got me up this morning. I blush at the thought as well.

"Both of your faces are getting red… Hm, I guess you're feeling the heat as well." I never really noticed it, but he's right. It's getting hot, and fast.

"Yeah; why'd it get hot all of a sudden? It wasn't like this a couple minutes ago." Red says.

"This heat… I think it's caused by flames!" This alarms me.

"Flames? From where?" I ask.

"Look ahead!" Giovanni shouts. We do as we're told and see that the Museum of Science is burning!

"W-who could've done such a thing?!" Red shouts.

"It's those two Pokémon!" Giovanni now points towards the two Magmar breathing flames.

"Ah…! Well, I guess it's now to show you how great of a trainer I really am!" That's Red for you. Even in the face of danger he has to show his Pokémon prowess.

"Go, Poliwrath!" Red sends out his first Pokémon and has him shoot a hydro pump towards the flames. The flames subside for a little while, but the Magmar quickly build them back up by breathing more flames.

"Drats! It's not working! Poliwrath, return! Go, Snorlax!" He now has Snorlax act as a barrier between the Magmar and the rest of the building that's not on fire right now. Sounds like a good plan, but the part that's already burning will soon catch the rest on fire.

"A Snorlax? Why a Snorlax?" Giovanni asks.

"Because they recover health while using Rest! He'll take damage, then restore it just as quick! Just to buy us a little time." Red explains.

"Philippe, why don't you try something?" He asks. I send out Gastly and think of what I could do to help.

"Ah! Gastly, Spite!" Gastly uses Spite on both the Magmar and as soon as it hits they stop breathing flames.

"What did you do?" Giovanni asks, trying to act confused.

"I had Gastly use Spite to make it so the Magmar wouldn't be able to use Flamethrower anymore; or, at least, use it much less." I explain.

"Clever…"

The two Magmar start running towards Gastly now that they can't burn the building anymore and I have him disappear. They look around, confused, and decide that it'd be best to switch target to Snorlax who is still sleeping. They begin to punch him repeatedly until his face contorts in pain.

Since Pikachu's already out from lighting the cave, I decide to have him join the battle as well.

"Pikachu, Discharge!" Pikachu lets out a burst of electricity that stuns both Magmar.

"Great! I think we've got them Philippe." Red returns Snorlax and I return Pikachu. I begin to call Gastly back, but something stops me. Gastly begins to glow white, and I know what's coming next.

"Philippe, is Gastly evolving?" Red asks.

"I think he is." I wait until Gastly's form stops changing, and he returns to his normal color.

"Well, I guess we should call you Haunter from now on." I say as I point the PokéDex towards him.

"That was incredible teamwork! Alone you two are formidable, but together you seem to be unbeatable!" Giovanni compliments us both.

"I cover Red's faults and he covers mine." I say the same thing to him that I did to the Pidgebots.

"The only downside to this is that we can't study the fossils at the museum… I really wanted to see if any of these could be one!" Giovanni says.

"Yeah, but Philippe's probably right. They're more than likely just rocks anyways." Red agrees.

"Well, even so, I think you should have one. As a memento of Diglett's Cave. Even if it's not a fossil, it still looks pretty." Giovanni hands Red a rock that seems to have something trapped within.

"Cool! It looks like a bug's trapped within the stone! Thanks!" Red thanks him.

"I guess that our paths part here. Good luck on your journey you two." We all say goodbye and Giovanni leaves for who knows where.

"He seemed like a nice guy Philippe! I hope we meet him again." We will Red, we will.

"He doesn't seem like how he would have…" I mumble to myself.

"And why is that?" Red hears me and questions.

"I just thought from his appearance he'd be different than he is." I explain.

"It's a good thing that he wasn't then! Anyways, let's head to the Pokémon Center. It feels as if we walked all the way from Fuschia in one day!" We… actually… did? Note to self: Ask Mew how that was possible.


	23. Dealing with Dragonite

Author's Note:

Only six more days until I have to go back to school. Not looking forward to it. Is it weird that I feel like I'll be writing more after school starts than now? Well, here's another one, six days later. I'm hoping to spend more time writing after this update.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Pokémon, nor anything related to it. Nintendo does.

* * *

"Well, we finally made it back…heh…" Red says nervously. I've been giving him the death glare all day. Why? Because we just got back to Fuchsia City after multiple days of walking through Diglett's cave (again) and through Routes 12, 13, 14 and 15. Oh, and I did ask Mew how we were able to do it the first time within one day. She said it took us the entire day just to get to the entrance of Diglett's Cave, and as to not waste time she kind of teleported us through the cave. Just a little bit. It was easy for her; since we were inside a cave and didn't have a map we couldn't really tell where we were. This time around, however, she didn't risk it a second time, lest Red get suspicious.

"Yes we did." I say, annoyed.

"I said I was sorry!" Red apologizes once more.

"You 'were' sorry? You mean, you aren't anymore?" I tease.

"You know what I meant!" He's still cute when he's mad…

"Yeah, yeah, I do. So, where should we go now?" I ask.

"Probably back to the PokéMart. We still need to stock up on more supplies." Red suggests.

"Where do you keep getting all this money?" Seriously; we haven't run out once so far.

"From all the battles I've been winning!" He says proudly.

"I didn't think you could get that much money from just battling…" I wonder how much poké could get you what here…

"It does! Especially from Gym Leaders. They give out a _lot _if you beat them, along with a badge." Probably from the Gym Leader's Association or whatever. There's no way they would pay the challenger with money from their own pockets.

"Well, if you have so much money, then how about it?" We head over to the PokéMart and restock, as well as buy some extras. One of said extras happens to be an Itemfinder. Isn't Oak's aide supposed to give you one in the game…? Meh, we haven't seen Oak or anyone related to him since we left Pallet Town, so that must've changed.

"Are you honestly expecting that thing to work?" I ask Red after seeing him point it towards everything, including me.

"The clerk said it was guaranteed to work!" Yeah, that and a million other things.

"Maybe… but we'd have to be lucky enough in the first place to get near something hidden." I've never really used one of them in my life. I just let them rot in my bag. Well, if metal could rot. Rust, then.

"Yeah… Then I'll leave it on, just in case." He sticks it in his bag and we continue on our way through Fuchsia, not knowing what to do.

"Hey, Philippe?" Red asks me.

"Yeah?" I wonder what's on his mind?

"This place is near the ocean, right?" If he means Route 19 and the Seafoam Islands, yes.

"I think so, why?" I respond.

"How about we go for a swim?" …That was out of the blue.

"Swim? Why?" I really don't want to…

"Because like you said, we didn't really have much of a vacation when we visited the Safari Zone! Besides, it'll be fun!" I really don't want to do this…

"I don't think it'd be such a great idea…" I start.

"Why not?" He persists.

"Because… Well, I don't really know how to swim…" I confess. I mean, I know how to stay above water, but that's pretty much it.

"You don't know how to swim?" He asks, surprised. Don't know why.

"Yeah… All I really know how to do is not drown. I don't know much more than that." I explain.

"Then I guess that's just something else I'll have to teach you! Come on!" He grabs me by the wrist and drags me all the way to Route 19.

"I know it's not a beach, but that's perfect. It means there'll be less people." He says as he backs into the water. In his clothes.

"Red, aren't you going to change into a bathing suit? Actually… did we even _bring _any?" Now that I think about it, there's probably going to be many things that we need along the way that we never in a million years would've thought to bring.

"Why would I need one?" He asks, sincerely confused.

"Ah… I just don't want either of us getting sick from being all wet and cold." I express my concern.

"We're not gonna get sick! Now come on!" He gestures for me to move towards him and I do. I leave my stuff next to his and slowly walk into the water.

"That's it. Now, just slowly come over to me." I know how to do this much, Red. You don't need to baby me that much.

I start to walk towards him, and at first it's easy. As I get deeper, it gets harder to move, and soon enough the water's at my neck and I'm forced to stop.

"Why'd you stop?" He asks.

"If I go any further the water would be above my neck." I explain with a hint of annoyance in my voice. I don't like not being able to do things; that's one of my pet peeves. Although, it's a very strange pet peeve.

"Fine. Let me get you." He starts swimming back to me and once he gets here, he takes my hand and tries to swim back. I don't move.

"Philippe, you're never going to learn if you don't try. Trust me." I hesitantly relax my legs and let him drag me along the water. What makes this worse is that I'm much shorter than I was the last time I went swimming.

"See? Nothing bad's going to happen if you just hold on." He says while looking back at me. He takes both hands and holds me in place.

"Now, I'm going to let go. Don't worry, I'll still be here if you start to have troubles." He lets go of one hand and I start to panic.

"D-don't let go!" I shriek. He merely laughs and lets go of the other. I quickly splash towards him and hold onto his waist.

"I-I said don't let go!" I shriek once more. He just looks down at me with a confused look in his eyes.

"R-Red?" I ask softly.

"Ah… nothing." He snaps back to reality. I think.

"Why did you panic? I said I would be here if anything happened." He says.

"I… I don't like having to do things myself. It's much easier when I have someone to show me what to do." I've never been good at doing anything by myself. I need someone with me in case something goes wrong.

"Well, how _can _I show you? There's not much to show. All you really need to do is be comfortable with being out in the open waters. Also, didn't you say you knew how to keep above water?" Yes… I did.

"Yeah, but that's with someone there being able to help." I confess further.

"So you really don't know how to swim at all?" He now looks concerned.

"No… not really." I feel ashamed in saying so. I think it's because I think that Red will look down on me if he knows, but… He's not that kind of person.

"Well then, looks like this'll just take a lot more work!"

* * *

Several hours later I'm able to float and move slowly without his help. Well, without him holding my hand. Which I'm kind of sad he doesn't have to do anymore.

"See? You're much better. You just needed someone to be able to show you." Red says.

"Yeah. Like I said, I just need some help with doing so." We both get out of the water and find ourselves to be completely pruned. That's what you get for spending hours in the water. Our clothes are soaking wet as well. Since the sun's so bright at this time of the day, hopefully they'll dry quickly.

"Looks like we were in there much longer than we thought!" He laughs.

"Let's get going, then." I pick up my bag as he picks up his, but he soon starts digging through it.

"Red? Are you missing something?" I ask.

"No, I think I hear something… Aha! I was right!" He picks up the ItemFinder that he bought at the PokéMart, revealing that it is indeed emitting a noise, as well as glowing dimly.

"There must be an item nearby!" He starts walking off without his pack (That I have to now carry) and tries to find where the signal becomes stronger. He's walking towards the water and the noise becomes stronger, as well as the glow becoming brighter.

"I think it's underwater!" Great. Now I'm going to have to go underwater. But, isn't Dive a Generation 3 HM? And Red doesn't even have any HMs yet!

"What'll I do?" I ask. I'm pretty sure that Poliwrath isn't going to be able to bring us both down there at the same time. Although, he was able to drag both of us back onto the ship after we were thrown overboard.

"You're coming with me! Don't worry, all you need to do is hold your breath. Poliwrath will do the swimming and I'll do the searching." Then, what'll I be there for?

"But I like it here on dry land!" I exclaim.

"Fine, suit yourself." He sends out Poliwrath, grabs a hold of his hand and starts moving towards the water.

"Wait!" I can't believe I'm doing this…

"I… I want to go with you." Red grins, comes back, takes my hand and brings me to where Poliwrath is standing. When we get to the water's edge we both grab a hold of Poliwrath's hand and he brings us out farther than either of us could go alone, dives, then follows the route that has the ItemFinder glow brighter and beep louder. (How does that thing work underwater anyways?)

I had shut my eyes right before we go under and continue to pray to whatever Pokémon God is out there that we'll make it back alive.

We continue diving deeper and deeper, and soon my whole body starts to hurt. Probably due to the depth we're at. Red is somehow able to see underwater (Or, I think he is, because he's able to direct Poliwrath in the direction to go; he's able to understand the ItemFinder more than Poliwrath can)

Poliwrath stops at one point, and I dare to open my eyes for a quick second. After looking around I shut them, but then realize something very peculiar… My eyes didn't sting from the water for the one second. I decide to open them again, and to my amazement I'm able to have my eyes open without any pain. I look towards Red and see that he's bent over a cliff, picking something up. Looks like he's found whatever it is that the ItemFinder was sensing. He turns to me and smiles, noticing that I've decided to open my eyes. He flashes whatever he has in his hands so quickly that I can't tell what they are, then motions for Poliwrath to surface.

We surface fairly quickly, quicker than it took to get down to that level, anyways. When we're on dry land he shows me what he picked up.

"What do you think these things are?" He shows me three disc-shaped items. What are the only disc-like things in this world? That's right, TMs and HMs. I've always wondered how you used a CD to have a Pokémon learn a new move.

"They're probably the machines that are used to have Pokémon learn new attacks." I say.

"How would you use this to have it learn a new attack? Where do you put it in?" The responses I could come up with…

"I don't know. How about we ask the Professor?" Whenever there's something neither of us can figure out we always go see a researcher.

* * *

No one looked strangely at us as we walked into the Center completely drenched. Strange.

We walk over to the Pokémon Center's telephone and call up Professor Oak. We show him what we've found and he explains to use what they are.

"Looks like you boys have found HMs 1, 4, and 5. Well done! Especially considering you found them all at the same time, at the same place…" Oak explains and congratulates.

"Yeah! How many more of them are there Professor?" Red asks.

"There's five Hidden Machines in total. There's HM01, Cut, HM02, Fly, HM03, Surf, HM04, Strength, and HM05, Flash. So it seems that you've found Cut, Strength, and Flash. Green found Surf not too long ago." I bet that Blue has Fly, considering her Jigglypuff was able to fly us around. I still don't know how that was even possible.

"What?! Green already has Surf? Darnit!" At least he didn't use another word. He uses it a lot for someone his age.

"Yeah… We need it to be able to get to the Seafoam islands!" How Poliwrath was able to Dive without an HM, though, I still don't understand.

"Well, maybe he could lend you the machine to use on one of your Pokémon?" Red let out a snort.

"Green? Share? Fat chance! That's as likely as me losing a battle!" No comment.

"You won't know until you try." Oak says.

"Oh, by the way, Professor? Could you tell us how exactly we're supposed to use these Hidden Machines?" I ask before he hangs up.

"That's easy. There should be a machine near the front desk. You hook up your Pokémon to the machine via a headpiece, place the CD into the machine, and that's it. You start it up and in a bit your Pokémon learns the move." That's… much easier than I thought it'd be.

"Sweet!" Red runs to the desk and finds the machine, hooks up two of his Pokémon and Pikachu (Without my permission, I might add) and teaches them the HMs

I finish our conversation with Oak, hang up, and walk over to Red.

"So, who did you teach what?" I ask.

"I taught Ivysaur Cut, Snorlax Strength, and Pikachu Flash. Sorry for taking him; he's the only electric type we have." He apologizes.

"That's alright. I just find it funny that Snorlax would be able to learn Strength." I joke.

"Yeah. Well, now that we've gotten that settled, how about we go back to the water for some more lessons?" Not again…

We make our way back to Route 19 and jump in once again. It wasn't long after we get in, however, that the ItemFinder starts beeping from Red's bag once more.

"Looks like it found something else!" Again, it grows louder as we get further out and Red decided that the item is underwater as well. He sends out Poliwrath and we both dive like earlier.

This time I keep my eyes open the entire time, looking around at our surroundings. I can't believe he'd rather look for treasure than look at this… Oh, what am I saying. Of course I can believe he'd do that.

He points Poliwrath to another underwater cliff that has a pokéball on it. Must be the item it's sensing. Since HMs 01, 04, and 05 were down here, what are the odds that that's either 02 or 03? I'm pretty sure there's multiple HM03s; Green can't be the only one with it.

Red lets go of Poliwrath and starts swimming by himself to the item only to be knocked off course by a giant, underwater wave.

He looks around frantically and his eyes eventually stop on a location. He quickly looks towards me and points, and when I look back I'm shocked. It's a Dragonite. Maybe or maybe not wild, but still. It's a sight to behold.

The Dragonite then uses its tail and slams Red back on dry land, then turns to Poliwrath and me and does the same. We land on a rock. Hard.

"Owwww… Was that really a Dragonite?" Red asks.

"I think so… what was it doing down there?" I ask back.

"I have no idea. All I know is that we have to get rid of it to be able to get the item! And I want that item!" Red starts to think of a plan on how we can get rid of the Dragonite.

"Actually, we don't. All we really need to do is distract it long enough that we're able to get the item before he notices." I tell him.

"That's a great idea! Hey, how about we use Pikachu?" For one of the few times I've seen this happen, he has a great idea. I send out Pikachu, tell him the plan we've come up with, and he uses Thunder on the water. Since Dragonite's in the water, and water conducts electricity, that'll increase the damage output immensely.

Turns out the plan works. The Dragonite soon surfaces and flies straight up out of the water.

"Pikachu, Thunder once more!" Pikachu does the same thing as before, only this time it does less damage now that Dragonite's out of the water. More than normal, because he's still wet, but not as much.

Red dives back underwater with Poliwrath while I'm distracting Dragonite to get the item.

"Pikachu, Thunder Wave!" Pikachu sends a short bolt of electricity towards Dragonite, but he shrugs it off. He then slams into Pikachu, breaking off a piece of the rock we're standing on in the meantime. I'm forced to back up.

"Pikachu, wait until Dragonite gets close and jump onto his back!" Pikachu does what he's told, and jumps right before Dragonite slams into the rock again. It breaks off another piece, I back up once more, and Pikachu lands on the Dragonite's back.

"Pikachu, shock his wings!" Pikachu lets out another bolt of electricity, hitting not just his wings but his entire body. Dragonite spazzes out for a couple of seconds but regains control soon enough. He shakes Pikachu off and I quickly return him to his pokéball before he hits the water. Now that I have no Pokémon out, Dragonite considers me no threat and dives back into the water after Red. I really hope he makes it before Dragonite finds him…

I sit on the remainder of the rock waiting, first for 15 seconds, then 30 seconds, then 45 seconds, then a minute… I get even more worried every second that passes that brings no sign of Red. What if the Dragonite _did _find him? What if it got him? I have to stop worrying… But… I can't.

About two minutes after Dragonite dove back down I see a shadow rising to the surface of the water. First it's one shadow, then two.

I see a Gyarados break the surface of the water first, then a Starmie, then Red, ontop of said Starmie. If the two Pokémon belong to the same trainer, I have a good feeling of who they belong to…

I see Red mumble to himself, then hear him shout out for Gyarados to use Hyper Beam. Gyarados charges up and the Dragonite follows his example. They both let loose at the same time. The two beams meet each other in mid-air, compete, then the power becomes so immense that they both just explode.

The water that's blown back by the explosion seems more than just a tidal wave. When the waves crash down, I'm thrown back onto the rock. Not just because of the weight of the water, but because Red crashed into me as well.

"Owwwwww… Why do you always have to keep falling for me?" I didn't mean for it to come out that way, but it did. Good thing Red's too innocent to understand the other meaning.

"I don't know… You're just so comfortable!" He jokes.

"So, now that you two are re-united, how about thanking me for saving your lives?" Misty shouts to us while surfing closer on Gyarados. How did I miss her the first time I looked at Gyarados? And, how did she remain upright during the explosion?

"Hey, you saved Red's life, not mine." I correct her.

"Looked like you were about to be Dragonite food as well." She teases.

"You and Gyarados saved Red while he was underwater. I was on land, on this rock, the entire time. I was completely safe!" I argue.

"Yeah, until Dragonite resurfaced." I know I've lost the argument at this point and shut up.

"So, what were you two doing out there?" She asks.

"Looking for this!" Red holds out the item that was underwater, and it is indeed HM03.

"Oh, so you found Surf! Well, if you really needed to cross the water you could've just asked me. I would've let you use Gyarados!" Red looks like he's about to facepalm and I can't help but giggle.

"Well, at least now we can use it whenever we want, right Red?" I say.

"Yeah… right." He responds.

"How about we rest up at the Pokémon Center for now? Your Pokémon must be exhausted if they fought with that Dragonite; I know Gyarados is."


	24. Onwards to Seafoam

Author's Note:

I. Am. REALLY. Sorry. That this chapter is so short. I was considering combining Chapters 25 and 26 together, but Chapter 26 is 30 pages long. It'd probably take me another week to get that done, and I promised myself I'd get a chapter posted at least every week. Anyways, now that school's started I should be getting more written. I know that it sounds weird, but having homework every night helps me get into the mood of getting work done. I'll probably write a little every night.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Pokémon. I never have owned Pokémon. I never will own Pokémon (Maybe in my dreams). Nintendo has that honor.

* * *

I really wish we could do this more often. Just sit around the table, even if at the Pokémon Center, and just relax. I might not have said it enough, but before I came to this world there had been nothing interesting in my life. Every day was the same, in and out. Now, there's no way I could expect what's going to happen each day. I… kind of like it.

"So, what were you two doing out there? Besides trying to find Surf. There must have been other reasons." Misty asks.

"Well, because I kind of ruined our vacation with the whole Safari Zone incident, I suggested that we go swimming." Red had explained to Misty everything that had happened since we last saw her (Which was a lot).

"So, how did that go?" She continues.

"Philippe said he didn't know how to swim, so I was teaching him." Red answers. I blush at this, but not as much as I did when I told him.

"It's a good thing you know how to now, right?" Misty says.

"Yeah. Red taught me well." I tell her.

"What are you planning on doing now that you have Surf? You must have had something in mind." Now that I think of it… we really don't. Red just wanted it because Green had it, probably.

"Isn't the next gym across the water? After the route we were just on?" I hint towards.

"I think you're right Philippe. Cinnabar Island is not too far from here, and I've heard that there's a gym there." You should have. You _are _a Gym Leader, after all.

"I guess that's where we're going next!" Red exclaims.

"Could I travel with you? If you've never Surfed before it can get really complicated. Also… there's the little fact of the matter that the HM was destroyed when Dragonite and Gyarados hyper-beamed."

* * *

"I'm never letting you drive again!" I scream in-between bumps. Just like when Red's driven before, this ride's absolutely bumpy. He's attempting to control Gyarados but with minimal luck.

"Well I didn't see _you _jump at the chance!" Red screams back.

"Red, Philippe, just keep your weight towards the head! That'll help with steering!" How?

"Watch this!" Red leans towards Gyarados's head and makes a sharp turn to the left, almost throwing both him and I off.

"Red… NEVER DO THAT AGAIN." I shout after I finally get a grip on the Pokémon's head.

"Come on! You have to admit that was-" He stops in the middle of his whining and stares ahead in shock. I follow his gaze and see an island.

"Gyah!" Red screams after a bit. We can see the island rapidly approaching, but neither of us knows how to stop!

"Misty, how do you-" …Too late. We had already crashed into the island. Good thing Gyarados can survive out of water for a little bit. Speaking of surviving out of water… How do water-type Pokémon live inside of the pokéballs? Is there water inside of them? Even so, is it enough to survive? Must. Remember. To. Ask. Mew.

"Hehe… if what you were going to ask was 'How do you stop this thing?!' then all you had to do was say 'Stop.'" Misty explains.

"Oh really now?" Red says as he stands up.

"Red, I blame you." I say.

"Why me? You didn't know how to steer either!" He argues.

"But _you _were the one who tried to look cool by turning! If we had just kept going straight we would've never ran into this island!" He knows that I'm right so he stops fighting.

"You two still fighting? And you're not even married yet!" I blush furiously at this, just like when Erika commented on us fighting like a married couple.

"Anyways, I think you should take Gyarados for now. I have Starmie to take me places, and you don't have a Pokémon of your own that knows Surf. Why did HMs and TMs have to be made so fragile?" Misty offers. Red accepts Gyarados's Pokéball.

"Now that you have Gyarados, I'll be taking this." Misty reaches for Red's belt and I suddenly get red in the face. If she dares…

She quickly snatches one of the pokéballs from Red's belt and tosses it in the air.

"Wouldn't be fair if you got one of mine and I didn't get anything in return. Since you took Gyarados, a water Pokémon, I'll just be taking Krabby, ok?" Red agrees since he usually never uses him, and waves goodbye to Misty. I do the same.

"So, now that we're alone, where should we start?" Red asks.

"I'm pretty sure this isn't Cinnabar… it's too quiet to be an island with a city on it. Plus, it's too natural. Wouldn't it have a volcano on it as well?" If this isn't Cinnabar, then there's only one other island it could be.

"Where are we then?" Red continues to ask.

"If my suspicions are correct, then I think we're on the Seafoam Islands." I wonder if we're going to meet any Pokémon here.

"Hey! Didn't the people back at Fuchsia say that there was a legendary Pokémon on this island?" Yes they did Red, yes they did.

"I think they said something about 'Articuno.' If that's true, I wonder if we'll see it." This time around, I'm going to try to complete the Pokédex 100%. Normally I just record whatever Pokémon I see and don't go out of my way to find every single one, but since I'll be traveling with everyone eventually I might as well try.

"I hope so! If I had a legendary Pokémon I'd be unstoppable!" That's always what's on your mind, isn't it?

"How about we let everyone say hi to Gyarados?" Red suggests. He sends out all of his Pokémon and I send out the few that I have. I never realized how many Pokémon we've caught up to this point. I have Pikachu, Haunter, and Cubone, while Red has Ivysaur, Poliwrath, Snorlax, Mankey, and Eevee. Temporarily, at least, he has Gyarados as well.

"Hey everyone! Now, I know that in the past Gyarados had tried to kill you, but he's different! He was under the influence of Team Rocket back then." When Red mentioned "Team Rocket," the Pokémon who were there when we first met them all growled. I guess they don't like them either.

"Yeah, them. They altered Gyarados's body so he'd become much more powerful, but that also made him go berserk. He's nicer now, and he's going to be a part of our team for a while." The Pokémon all slowly creep towards Gyarados.

"See? He's not so bad!" Red exclaims.

"Yeah. He's not bad once you get used to him. How long that'll take is up to you guys." I add.

"So, how about we go look for that Articuno now?" Red suggests.

"Sure. Is everyone up for it?" I ask all the Pokémon. Usually I'd feel weird talking to something that can't talk back… Scratch that, I do it all the time. I still wish I could know what they were thinking, though.

Pikachu out of the blue sends a flash of lightning behind Red, and as soon as the bolt lands we both turn around. Pikachu saw a Muk charging towards him and shocked him before he could reach.

"Haha, thanks Pikachu!" Red says nervously. Guess he was caught off guard like the rest of us.

"Thanks for what? You're far from safe." We hear a voice from further behind the Muk. Of course. Every single place we go to there _has _to be _something _to make it interesting. We've run into Team Rocket, _again._

"What are you guys doing here? Can't you just leave us alone?" I shout, annoyed.

"I think it's _you _who are chasing _us. _We just go wherever the boss tells us to. You seem to always run into us." He says back.

"We never know where you're going to go. How would we be following you if we don't?" I've always loved arguing, whether it be for a legit reason to argue or not.

"How do we know you're not lying?" I think he's run out of things to say.

"That's just it; you don't. Now, I'll ask a question. What are you even doing here anyways?" I know, but Red doesn't.

"What do you think we're here for? Articuno, obviously. Speaking of which… Muk, acid!" The Muk that had tried attacking Red gets back up from Pikachu's attack (Guess he had just been playing dead the entire time) and shoots, well, acid, towards a huge block of ice. …How did I miss that?

The block of ice begins melting, and once it's melted enough the rest shatters, revealing that none other than Articuno herself was hiding within.

"Philippe, is that Articuno?" He asks.

"I believe so… I've read that Articuno freezes itself to create a sort of 'shield' against enemies. But now, since the ice is shattered, the acid's free to burn her!" I explain quickly.

"Gyah! We have to stop Muk before he hurts Articuno!" Way to state the obvious.

"Haunter, Psychic!" Haunter uses the move that I picked up right before setting sail across to Seafoam Islands. Looks like it was a good thing I did.

Muk stops moving towards Articuno and his… face? contorts in pain. I still have no idea what exactly psychic or ghost type moves do, but it looks extremely painful.

While Muk and Haunter are busy fighting that leaves Red to stop the rest of the Team Rocket gang from getting to Articuno. I let him use the rest of my Pokémon since I won't be needing him, and he sends them all out against the grunts. I wonder how he can control so many Pokémon at once.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Cubone, Bonemerang! Ivysaur, Vine Whip! Poliwrath, Hydro Pump! Snorlax, Body Slam! Mankey, Seismic Toss! Eevee, Quick Attack!" Red commands each and every one of the Pokémon one after the other, and they all obey. Now I'm starting to see why people consider Red the "Pokémon Master." He really is a master. He's gotten so much better in such a short amount of time, it's amazing.

"Haunter, Hypnosis!" Muk falls asleep and I have Haunter go help Red with the others, having him obey Red instead of me.

"Red, I'll go help Articuno!" She's still covered in the acid that melted through the ice so she's in too much pain to move. I run over to her, careful not to get any of the acid on myself, and think of what I could do to help her.

"Think… Think… Red can only buy you enough time for so long…" While trying to think of a way to help Articuno I accidentally place my hands on her body. The acid touches my skin, but surprisingly it doesn't burn. All of a sudden the acid dissipates from where my hand is, and I'm shocked. Isn't this supposed to be Yellow's and Lance's talent? Even so, they'd still be harmed by the acid themselves…

"Articuno, we never tell anyone of this, ok?" I say jokingly, more so trying to calm myself than to make an actual joke. On the outside I'm completely fine, but on the inside I'm freaking out completely. I just keep finding more and more things that I have to talk to Mew about, aren't I?

"Hey, stop that kid!" A grunt points and the others start rushing towards me. Articuno starts flying into the air and flaps its wings towards us, scattering some sort of powder. As soon as the powder hits the ground it freezes. Same goes for when it hits the Grunts. They all simultaneously freeze. Articuno circles around both Red and I once, then flies off.

"Philippe… what happened?" Red asks, unsure of what to think.

"I… don't know. I think we just witnessed the true powers of a Legendary Pokémon." I answers.

"And to think there's more of them like that." Red says incredulously.

"And to think you did what you did!" I try to change the topic from Articuno.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"You commanded all of your Pokémon as well as mine at the same time! And they all listened to you! Maybe you _are _going to eventually be strong enough for the Pokémon League!" I praise.

"Gee, thanks! It really- wait… did you say '_maybe' _I'm going to be strong enough for the League? You mean to tell me you didn't have any faith in me before?!" He starts yelling. A playful kind of yelling.

"I didn't mean it like that! It's just, the Pokémon League is bound to have the top trainers from all over Kanto! Being a kid doesn't exactly put the odds in your favor… Everyone's going to pass you off as not being a threat at all!" I try to explain.

"And that's exactly what's going to be their downfall. Never underestimate your opponent. Especially one with three badges!" Here we go with the badges again.

"I hope you do know that you still have five to go before you're able to compete in the League, right?" That shot him down completely.

"Yeah… What do you think the next leader's going to be like?" Red asks.

"Probably a fire type leader…" I say without thinking. Fuuuuuuu- I can't let him know I know ahead of when I should know. Although, I could just say I researched it somewhere. But I don't like lying!

"What makes you think that?" He continues to ask.

"Since the gym's on Cinnabar Island, because it's an island wouldn't it make sense that it'd be a fire type gym? I'm only guessing here, but an island in the middle of the sea/ocean would more than likely be volcanic. Just think of-" I should really watch what I say… I almost let slip Hawaii.

"Think of what?" I really hate how he always wants to get an answer. Although, I have to admit that I do that often as well.

"It's nothing. Just, think of island chains. They usually have volcanos on them, right?" Hopefully he'll let the topic drop here.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Anyways, if it _does _happen to be a fire gym, I have Poliwrath and Gyarados ready for action!"


	25. Mighty Moltres

Author's Note:

I promised another within a week, and here it is. Didn't take me as long as I thought it was going to. Meh, probably because I want to write more now that school's started. Anyways, read and review and whatnot.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Pokémon or anything related to it. Nintendo does.

* * *

"So, how are you feeling?" Mew asks.

"I've been trying to keep strong, and it's been working. On the outside, at least…" I'm finally with the only other person besides myself who knows the truth. I can finally let everything out…

"I knew you couldn't have been this happy all the time. Philippe, if you have anything that's bothering you, you know you can just ask me to make a visit and I will. I only appear when you need me, or when I feel that you do." She says.

"Tell me, what's going on?"

"Mew… is all of this real? None of it feels real… Isn't Pokémon supposed to be much happier than this? Isn't it supposed to be all light and fluffy?" I know that there's no way I could believe this, but… I want to keep the hope alive.

"Philippe… I knew you'd be thinking this way eventually. Yes, this world is very different from the way you know it. That's because that was a man-made world. This, where you are right now, is real. The real world isn't as good as you want it to be. There's death, tragedies… all sorts of bad things happening. Hasn't Red also told you that if you needed anyone, he's there for you?" That last part stung me a little.

"Yes, he has… But, I don't feel like I can talk to him! He's 11; he wouldn't understand. No, this isn't one of those 'I'm the only person feeling like this and no one else would understand' kind of things. Although, that situation fits me perfectly. It's just… I've only known him for a few months and… I think the real reason is that I don't want to burden him with what I have on my shoulders. I don't want him to worry for me." I explain.

"But he _wants _to worry for you." Mew presses on.

"But not in the way that I worry for him! Mew, you're a Pokémon, so you've never experienced human emotions. I'm sorry if that sounds rude, but it's true! And don't say that I'm a Pokémon so I shouldn't feel these emotions either. No matter what you say I'll always be human." I don't know where any of this is coming out. I'm just shouting out random thoughts that pop in my head whether they fit the argument or not.

"I'm not saying you're not human! I'm just saying that Red does feel for you the way you do him!" Mew shouts back. This halts me for a second, but I soon recover.

"Hah! Red, feel the same way for me as I do him? Why would Red ever love a person like me!" This time it's Mew's turn to halt. Her face falls and she's speechless.

"L…love? Philippe, do you know how strong of a word 'love' is?" She asks softly.

"Yes… I know how strong the word 'love' is. It's the only word that I've been using for him, ever since I first met him. I know that I've always liked him, but… I know that I love him, and I have ever since I first physically met him. I've felt like there's something between us that won't let us separate. Even when we were back in the Safari Zone and on Surge's ship… we eventually found each other. It's just… I don't like feeling this way, knowing that he won't ever feel the same way!" I'm finally getting my emotions out…

"Philippe, how do you know that he doesn't love you back?" Mew asks, gently.

"Why would he love me? I mean, I'm… me!" The tears start falling and my throat starts closing.

"Philippe, this is why I've been wanting you to see me every time you feel there's something wrong. If you don't let out your emotions like you are right now then they're just going to keep bottling up until you can't handle them anymore. You're fine for a month or two, but then afterwards you just break down completely." She explains.

"I… know…" I say in between sobs.

"I just… love him… I love… Red…" When I utter these words it feels as if something's clicked inside of me. I've always thought this, but this is the first time I've actually said it to someone else. To a Legendary, no less.

"Philippe, just calm down. You can't say anything about Red just yet. There's no way for him to know if he feels anything for you yet. There's no way for him to know that you feel anything towards him as well. He's just not mentally mature enough. He might like you, but he's still too naïve to figure it out. Philippe… just give him time." Mew comforts me.

"I guess you're right… I'm just so selfish. I want and I want, and I never think about anyone else. I want to love Red, which I do, but I also want him to love me back. I just… don't want to… wait any longer…" Mew leads me to the bed and I begin to close my eyes.

"Philippe, give him time. Don't think about love for now. Just… think of the good times you're having with him. Think of the fun, the joy, the laughter. Forget about the hardships and about Team Rocket. Forget about everything that upsets you and he. Just… give it some time."

* * *

It actually feels weird waking up before Red this time. I look around and see that it's still nighttime. I try to go back to sleep but can't, so I decide to stay awake. I think now would be a good time to get to know my Pokémon better. I start out by sending out Pikachu.

"Pikachu, I know that I've been spending more time with Haunter and Cubone than you, and I'm sorry. It's just… I think I need to be with Haunter more to get him used to me, considering he already had another trainer before me, and Cubone… you already know about him. He's a baby, so he obviously needs to be taken care of. I think I haven't been spending much time with you because I know that you can take care of yourself. I know it's not a good excuse, but it's the truth." I explain. Pikachu walks up to me and sits down in my lap. I rub from his head to his tail for a while, then say goodbye and return him. I send out Haunter next.

"Haunter, you were with another trainer before me back in Pokémon Tower, right? I still have no idea how I was able to catch you from another trainer. Maybe because you didn't want to be with said trainer?" Haunter gives a little nod at that. I guess that if Pokémon really don't want to be with someone, they can leave by themselves. Makes me scared that if I don't pay enough attention to one, they'll leave.

"Well, I really hope that we can become best friends, Haunter. I've been working with you a lot so you can become the best you can be." Haunter floats over to my lap, the same as Pikachu did, but this time I can't really pet him since he's just gas. I just let him float over me for a while, then return. I send out Cubone.

"And now for you, Cubone. I've spent the most time with you mainly because you were a baby the first time I met you. I think you've grown up enough now to become a little independent, but I'm still scared of letting you go. I was worried the first time you let me return you to your pokéball, because it had me feel like you weren't my little baby anymore. Cubone, I know how hard this trip must've been for you, what with your mother. But, don't worry. Technically, I don't have either a mother or a father right now either. All I have is Red…" At the mention of his name, Cubone gets up and starts to walk over to him. I sit and wait to see what he'll do next, but then quickly return him to his pokéball as he raises his bone over Red's head. I chuckle a bit.

"Always with that bone, right, Cubone? I know how attached to it you are…" I say to myself.

By this time quite a while has passed and Red seems to be waking up. I let him wake up and get dressed while I do the same.

"So, even though it's early, since we're both up how about we start heading for Cinnabar? I want to get there ASAP. You probably do too considering the badge at stake." I suggest.

"Sure! How much farther do you think it is to the island?" He says. He sure is energetic even after only a couple minutes after waking up.

"I have no idea." Game distance and real life distance are two completely different things.

Red sends out Gyarados and we both set off for Cinnabar.

A while after we left Red's looking down into the water.

"Hey, Philippe, what kinds of Pokémon do you think live here?" He asks.

"Probably, oh, I don't know, water Pokémon?" I answer sarcastically.

"Very funny. I'm serious!" Sure you are.

"With our luck, probably only Tentacool." Tentacool are the Zubat of the sea.

"You mean like that?" He points at the water.

"First rule of driving: Never take your eyes off the… water? Whatever. I can't steer if I turn around." I know that much at least. Unlike a certain person I'm traveling with.

"But that's no fun!" He complains.

"But it _is _safe. And I think I can see Cinnabar now." Looks like we've been at it longer than I thought.

"You're right! But, what's that on the cliff?" He points towards it and I can see something burning.

"Wanna go check it out?" I ask.

"Sure!" I have Gyarados speed up until we're right next to the cliff-side.

"I guess we're climbing!" Red jumps off of Gyarados, swims to the rocks, and begins doing so.

"You, maybe. I have another plan in mind." And I hope it works. I send out Haunter.

"Haunter, could you levitate me for a bit?" Not sure if this'll work, but it's worth a shot.

Haunter glows purple, then soon after I begin glowing as well. I'm lifted off of Gyarados and am amazed that this actually works.

"Alright then. Move me next to Red so I can gloat." He does so, and I laugh at Red.

"What's taking you so long?" I tease. He just smirks.

"I guess you can't climb either, huh?" He says.

"Nope! I can't do anything!" Except for keeping you alive. And I've almost failed at that several times.

We're almost at the top and I make sure that not too much of my head is revealed as Haunter levitates me higher.

"It's Team Rocket!" Red quietly shouts.

"You're right. What are they doing here?" Well, considering there's an Arcanine and Rapidash, I'm guessing it has to do with a certain Fire type trainer.

"So those two are what's causing the fire! But, where's their trainer?" Red asks. Not too long after he shrieks.

"Ow!" A loose ember from Arcanine's ember landed on Red's hand.

"There's someone there! Is it Blaine?" A grunt shouts. One of them runs over and spots us.

"No, it's just two kids." He says disappointed.

"Even so, they've seen us. Get rid of them." The lead Grunt orders his Gengar to blast us (Team Red is blasting off again!), but is halted when another voice is heard.

"Stop! Don't do anything to those two." Here comes Blaine to the rescue!

"So, you've finally decided to show up. Maybe these two aren't so useless after all..." The grunt murmurs to himself.

"One wrong move and they'll both meet their watery grave." He has Gengar ready a Shadow Ball.

"…" Blaine says nothing to this.

"So, not so high and might now, are you traitor? Gengar, Night Shade!" Blaine grabs the sides of his head in pain.

"Philippe, we have to do something!" Red shouts.

"You're right. Haunter, stop the levitation!" Haunter stops holding me in mid-air and is somehow able to read my mind. He makes the air beneath me "solid" for a second, and I jump from where I was onto solid ground. Looks like ghosts can do more than even I thought.

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!" Gyarados leaps from the water, opens his mouth, and lets loose a giant stream of water towards the grunts.

"Haunter, Shadow Ball!" Haunter lets loose his own attack, though much less powerful.

Both attacks hit the grunts, severely damaging, but not killing them.

We provided enough distraction for Blaine to get over his headache and get to his two Pokémon.

"Get on you two!" Blaine grabs Red's hand while riding by on Rapidash and I quickly grab onto Red's. Blaine pulls Red onto the Pokémon and Red pulls me on.

"They're getting away!" One of the grunt shouts after gathering himself off the ground.

Rapidash is moving far too quickly for them to even hope to catch up, so now I'm able to relax. I return Haunter before I'm too far away, and I wonder why Red hasn't returned Gyarados yet. Hmm…

"Thanks for saving us mister!" Red shouts.

"It's the least I can do for you two saving me. My name's Blaine by the way. What's yours?" He responds.

"My name's Red!" He says.

"And I'm Philippe." I say after.

"What did he mean by 'traitor?'" Red, you don't just ask someone why they're a traitor! Or who they're a traitor to, for that matter.

"Oh, that. I'm a traitor of Team Rocket. I used to be one of their scientists." This greatly shocks Red, shown by his gasp.

"You're part of Team Rocket?" He shouts. He's not able to get anything else out before a giant fireball lands right behind us.

"It looks like they haven't given up yet. Rapidash, faster!" Rapidash quickens her pace (At least, I think it's a her) and weaves in and out of the trees, trying to avoid any more fireballs. I don't really think it's Team Rocket who's causing them, however…

"Go, Poliwrath!" Well, Red's being smart for once. He's doing that more often now. He has Poliwrath water gun any fireballs that seem like they could land close to us, putting them out. It works, but doesn't completely get rid of them.

"They just keep coming! What could-" Blaine stops mid-sentence and stares at the sky.

"T-that… It can't be…!" He stammers. Both Red and I look to where he's looking at and Red's the first to speak.

"It's…" He starts.

"Moltres." I finish. Looks like we've now seen two out of the three Legendary Birds. Only one more to go!

"Rapidash, Fire Spin!" …Really, Blaine? What good is that going to do? The flames hit Moltres but only seem to increase the bird's power.

"Gah! It didn't work!" You think?

"Let me try something! Gyarados, another Hydro Pump!" Since we're still near the edge of the cliff, Gyarados has been able to follow alongside. He lets off another huge stream of water towards Moltres but it easily dodges.

"It's too fast!" The Moltres now decides to attack and sends one more giant fireball towards us. This time it hits the ground next to us, and we're all knocked off of Rapidash.

"Red!" I really hope he's alright…

"I'm fine." He says. From his voice, he doesn't sound alright. It's a little hoarse, but I think that's from the smoke.

"There's no way we can beat a flying Pokémon with only ground ones! Red, Philippe, do either of you have a flying Pokémon?" Blaine asks.

"The closest thing we have to one is Haunter, and he only levitates." I answer.

"Drat! What are- out of the way!" He shouts. Moltres is launches another fireball towards us and we all jump. Something falls from Red's pocket as we do so. Blaine seems to have taken notice.

"What's that?" He asks as he picks it up.

"It can't be…!" He says in shock.

"There's a time and place for scientific curiosity, and now's not one of them!" Red shouts.

"This is an Old Amber!" Blaine seems to be formulating a plan while Red and I sit here like idiots, hoping that Moltres won't launch another fireball.

"Both of you, if we keep this up we'll just tire ourselves out until Moltres can finish us off! The only chance we have is if you two go to my lab and revive this fossil! Here, Rapidash will take you there. She knows the way." He quickly puts the Amber back into Red's pocket while Rapidash lowers her head and picks both of us up, then dashes off.

"I'm going to have to borrow Gyarados for a bit!" Blaine shouts as we travel farther and farther away.

* * *

"I would _not _like to be going through here alone." I think outloud as Rapidash is dashing through the forest. It's literally like a maze in here. All the trees and boulders, I wouldn't know where to begin if I had to look for the laboratory myself.

"You got that right." Red says besides me.

Rapidash seems to be nearing the entrance for she starts to slow down. She moves to the side of the mountain on top of the island and presses her nose against it, revealing a hidden switch within the rock. After the switch has been pressed, a crack in the wall begins to form, revealing a pathway into the mountain.

Rapidash walks through the passageway into the lab and lowers its head, throwing Red off in the meantime. I simply slide off her back.

"Why am I always the one getting hurt?" Red whines.

"It's not _always you. _I get hurt quite a lot as well." I correct.

"Anyways, what is it that Blaine wants us to do?" Red asks.

"I don't know… there has to be a clue around here somewhere." I start to look around for any clues, and soon Red shouts "Aha!"

"I know why he's brought us here! He must be working for them in disguise, and is just pretending to be nice so he can trap us here!" Typical Red. Always jumping to conclusions. Rapidash doesn't seem to like his accusations towards her master so she decides to buck Red. He's thrown across the room and lands on the ground.

"I must say, however. You _do _seem to be getting hurt a lot more than I am today. And, I don't think that Blaine's part of Team Rocket. Another thing, I think I've found what he wants us to do." I pick up a book that was lying on a table and show it to Red.

"'Pokémon Fossil Revivification?' What's this?" He asks, puzzled.

"Well, let's take it apart, shall we? 'Pokémon' obviously means Pokémon, 'Fossil' obviously means it's about Fossils, and 'Revivification' is from the word 'Revive' which means 'To bring back to life or consciousness.' Now, tell me, what do you think it means?" I explain.

"You mean, Blaine wants us to revive the fossil from earlier?" He finally gets it.

"Bingo." I reach into his pocket and take the Amber, go over to the huge machine in the center of the room, and place it inside. Red shuts the glass, sealing the Amber inside, and presses the power button. Thankfully this machine isn't that complicated to operate or else we'd be in serious trouble.

The Amber is transported from where we placed it to the huge cylinder in the center. After a couple of seconds the Amber begins to shake and eventually shatter, revealing something in the center. Said thing begins growing larger and larger until we can make out its shape. It looks to be something along the lines of a Pokémon. When it's at full size we can see that it is indeed a Pokémon, but one that Red's never seen before. Of course, it _is _an extinct Pokémon, after all.

"P-Philippe… what _is _that?" Red asks, a bit terrified.

"Well, since it came from a fossil, it's probably a dinosaur." I answer.

"A dinosaur? Sweet!" Red says, quickly getting over his fear.

"With a dinosaur nothing can stop us!" He shouts with enthusiasm.

"Nothing but a Legendary." And there goes his dreams.

"Aww… you couldn't have let me live in the moment just that once?" He complains.

"Well, maybe a Legendary. Maybe this is an extinct Legendary? I don't know. Let me just record it in the PokéDex before you go ahead and have it become extinct again." I say all of this while taking out the PokéDex and pointing it towards the Aerodactyl.

"By the way, Red, I think you should call it Aerodactyl from now on, not 'dinosaur.'" Once I'm finished saying this I turn around to see if I can see Red, and I can't.

"Red? Where'd you go?" I turn back to the Aerodactyl only to find that it isn't there either.

"Where'd the Aerodactyl go?" I say to myself. Not long after I'm suddenly picked up by the beast and am being carried away. Obviously I'd scream, which I did.

"Hahaha! Now whose turn is it to scream?" Red laughs from in front of me. He's being carried by Aerodactyl's front claws while I'm being carried by the back ones.

"I don't like this, I don't like this at all!" I scream.

"Oh, stop being such a scaredy-cat!" Red teases.

"So much for you to say! You had a warning before you were picked up!" I scream, a little less frightened at this point, but still scared.

"Aerodactyl, follow that trail of smoke!" Looks like Moltres has done much more damage than I thought. A lot of the forest is now burnt down.

Aerodactyl flies for a few minutes and we make it to the site. We look down to see Blaine and Gyarados both surrounded by the flames of Moltres with the bird flying right above them readying another attack.

"Aerodactyl, distract Moltres!" Aerodactyl collides with Moltres and disrupts its attack.

"You did it! You resurrected Aerodactyl!" Blaine cheers.

"Yeah… sorry we're late! We had a bit of trouble finding out how to do that!" Red apologizes.

"Stop apologizing and start controlling this thing!" I shout to him.

"Quit nagging me! Aerodactyl, Rock Throw!" Aerodactyl just looks behind at Red with a look that says "Really?"

"Red, how can he pick up rocks with us in his claws?" I say as I mentally facepalm. I've been doing that a lot recently. Much less than before, but still a lot.

"Oh… Well, what am I supposed to tell it to do then?" Red asks.

"Gah! Aerodactyl, just let Blaine on your back!" I command. It swoops down and lands on the ground, only staying long enough for Blaine to be able to get a grip on its back, then flies off again.

"Aerodactyl, fly us to that ridge!" I point to a spot on the side of the island and Aerodactyl follows my directions. It brings us to the location I specified and drops us off.

"Alright, Red. _Now_ you can fight." Red seems to be so much more excited now.

"Alright! Aerodactyl, use Rock Throw!" He seems to be assuming that Aerodactyl knows that move. Unfortunately, it does not.

"Red, try using the PokéDex for once." I throw it to him and he checks Aerodactyl's moves.

"Alright then! Aerodactyl, use Hyper Beam!" Aerodactyl readies said beam as Moltres is readying an attack of its own. Aerodactyl finishes charging before Moltres is, and lets loose the beam. It hits Moltres directly on the wings, having it lose balance.

"Great! A direct hit!" Red cheers.

"Now, use Supersonic before it recovers!" Aerodactyl does just that and Moltres becomes confused. It begins flying back towards the Rocket members that are controlling it. After it gets close enough to where the grunts should be, there's a huge flash of light and Moltres is gone. Looks like they've decided to return Moltres to its pokéball. Smart move.

"Looks like Aerodactyl's stronger than a Legendary! I told you it could do it!" Red tells me.

"Yes, yes. The only reason though is because you confused Moltres. If Moltres had been able to get off an attack, we'd be done for. The main reason why Blaine was able to withstand it for so long is because Blaine's used to training fire Pokémon, so he's used to the heat, and Gyarados is a water Pokémon, so fire doesn't effect it that much, isn't that right?" Blaine nods at the statement.

Blaine also slumps to the ground. Red and I both rush to his side.

"Blaine, are you alright?" Red asks, concerned.

"Yes, I'm alright… There's just one more thing that I need to do before I can rest… I must put to rest the creation that I have made… before it can harm anyone else…" Blaine says.

"What do you mean? What creation?" Red asks.

"It's none of your concern… Pallet Town lies just across those waters… I think you should return home for a bit. Your parents must be worried sick about you two…" Blaine gets up, returns Gyarados's pokéball, and starts to walk away. Red tries to follow but I stop him.

"Red, if he needs to do something we should let him. Don't we have something to do as well?" I tell him.

"Something to do? Something like what?" He continues to ask.

"Something like letting Professor Oak know how much we've accomplished? He probably wants to know how we're doing. We should also tell him more about Team Rocket… He probably knows more now than we all did back when we first set off on this journey." I explain.

"You're right! I should also stop by to explain everything to Mom as well…" He says to himself.

"Alright. So, we know where we're headed now. Let's go!"


	26. Return to Pallet

Author's Note:

Has it really been this long? Four months ago I didn't even know where to begin, and now here I am. I didn't think I'd be able to break 10k words, let alone 100k. I just wanted to say, even though I don't know who you are, thank you to those who have actually read this far. For the normal note: Read, review, comment, whatever. Let me know how I'm doing. Please?

Disclaimer:

I do not own Pokémon, nor anything related to it. Nintendo does.

* * *

"One, two, three…" So many…

"Four, five, six…" Too many…

"Seven, eight… Alright, I give up."

"Yeah, me too. They're everywhere!"

Magikarp, Magikarp as far as the eye can see. They're to the left, they're to the right, they're in front of us, they're behind us. If this isn't a swarm, I don't know what is. At least they're not Zubat. Once we're out of the water they can't follow us anymore.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Red asks, changing the subject from Magikarp.

"A long time for what?" I ask.

"A long time since we were last here. It's felt like forever although it's only been a few months." He's right. It was only a few months ago that we were here, Red dashing off to catch me my first Pokémon. I'm pretty sure it'll be a long time since we're back here again, so I want to enjoy it as much as possible.

"You're right. How about we stop by and say hi to your Mom before we leave? I still haven't gotten a chance to meet her, and I'm pretty sure she'd want to meet the boy who's been traveling with her son for the past several months." No one really knows what his mom's like either. I'm curious as to how _all _parents of the protagonists are like. There's few that we actually "meet." I seriously can't wait to meet Crystal's mom…

"That's a good idea. It's been a while since I last called her." Red agrees.

Gyarados finally hits land and we dismount, Red returning him to his pokéball. We continue walking the rest of the way to Pallet.

"Not much has changed, has it?" Red thinks out loud.

"Considering I was only here for… an hour at most? I wouldn't know. Not much would change in the amount of time we've been gone anyways." Unless Team Rocket found out Red's hometown and took over, at least.

"So, where do you live exactly?" I ask him.

"Right over there!" He points to a house that looks almost exactly to the one next to it. Probably Green's/Oak's house. Unless the Professor lives in his lab. That'd just be strange.

Red walks up to the front door and knocks, and not long after the door swings wide open and we hear a gasp.

"Red? Is that really you?" The woman squeals. She runs up to him and presses his face against her… breasts?

"Oh, Red! I never thought I'd see you again!" I'm a bit concerned…

"Mom, you can stop it!" Red protests.

"I'm sorry! I'm just so happy!" She continues to shriek. I really feel like a third wheel here.

"Oh? And is this your friend? He's so adorable!" Now it's my turn to be pressed against the woman's breasts. This just confirms my feelings for Red even further.

"Mom, you're suffocating him!" He's got a point. Very little room to breathe here.

"Sorry, sorry! I've just never been able to meet any of Red's friends before!" I'd really like to meet them as well. Although, with what he said before…

"Red, your mom's… different, from how you said she was like earlier." It's what I picked up from his conversations, at least. Don't blame me for eavesdropping.

"Aw, my little Red's been talking about me? What's he said?" Red blushes at her calling him her "little Red." I'm really starting to like his mom.

"He said that you haven't been worrying much about him." I say truthfully.

"What? Of course I have been! I've been worrying night and day whether or not my Red will come home to me!" She says with the overdramatic-fake-fainting motion. Are all Pokémon Moms like this?

"Oh, where are my manners? Come in, come in!" She invites us inside the house, which really is much larger than it looks on the outside.

"Sit down, sit down! Let me make you something to eat. You must be starving!" After surfing across the entire… ocean? Of course we are.

Red and I sit at the table, waiting for his mom to finish cooking.

"Red, is your mom always this…" I wave my hand, not knowing how to describe her.

"Yeah… this is one reason people try to stay away from me. My mom can be a little bit… eccentric." A little?

"I wish my parents were more like your mom is. They can be so boring sometimes." That could be because they're old, though.

"Speaking of your parents, I've asked you before, but you haven't told me anything about them!" I've always been trying to avoid this topic. Looks like I can't get around it this time.

"Well, my parents aren't ones that get out much. They usually get up, go to work, come home, do more work/be alone, then go to bed. That's their daily routine." Boooooooriiing.

"I'm back!" Red's mom chirps.

"I didn't know what you'd like so I just made everything!" She literally made _everything. _It's almost as much as they had when we caught Pikachu. So many different kinds of food… Such a small stomach to contain it all…

"How about you send out your Pokémon? I'm sure they'd love to eat as well!" We do as we're told (Red really doesn't have a choice) and… is it safe for Pokémon to eat human food? Well, hopefully she knows what's best.

We eat in silence for a little while, not knowing what to talk about, when Red's mom strikes up a conversation.

"So, how close are you and my son?" Why does everyone ask this?! Red literally spits out his drink when she asks it.

"Well, we're friends, obviously. Otherwise we wouldn't have been able to stand each other for so long, right?" I answer.

"Mom, I think I've told you enough about this on the phone. You don't need to pester him about it." Red tries to change the subject.

"Awww… fine. Anyways, why haven't you called?! I've been worried sick what with all the Team Rocket attacks! I thought something terrible had happened to you!" Hey, what about me?

"You too, Philippe!" …Can she read minds?

"We've been so busy battling and running away from them we've had no time to call. I'm sorry, but when you're running for your life you don't give much thought to anything else." Red explains.

"I guess I never thought of that… Oh well! So, are you two full?" She responds.

"Yeah, I'm getting pretty full." Of course you are. You've eaten practically half the table.

"I am as well. Thanks for the meal…" I just realize that I don't really know what to call her.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what to call you." I admit shyly.

"Oh, you can just call me Delia!" …What.

"D-Delia?" I stutter. If this is where I think it's headed…

"Yes, why?" She asks, confused as to said stuttering.

"You wouldn't happen to have another son… would you?" I nervously ask.

"Oh, no. Red's all I need! I wouldn't dream about having another one! Then I wouldn't be able to give quite enough love that he needs!" She squeezes him again.

"Mooooooom…" He whines. Well, at least this kills my suspicions. And I'm kind of glad for that. Or… am I?

"Hm… it's getting kind of late. How about you two stay here for the night?" Finally, an actual bed!

"But Mom, there's only one bed upstairs!" Red reminds her.

"Then share!" I start to blush again, Red's Mom taking complete notice, the corners of her lips starting to tug upwards. Uh-oh…

"Alright. Let's go, Philippe." Red shows me to his room, which, really, I would've been able to find on my own. It's the only room upstairs. We unpack what little possessions we still have and get ready. Funny thing about that… we've been wearing the same outfit since the beginning of our journey. Yes, we've been washing them, but it's still weird. Our clothes are so ruined that we really should get new sets. Red's outfit is easy enough; his wardrobe is full of them. Mine, on the other hand… I don't know.

"How about you take one of mine?" Red asks when I pose the question.

"Would they even fit me?" I can't even imagine myself wearing his clothes.

"Probably. You don't look to be much bigger than me." I slightly blush again. Got to stop doing that.

"Well, I'll try them on in the morning then." I agree.

We finish getting changed and slip into bed.

"Goodnight, Philippe."

"Goodnight, Red."

* * *

"Mew, you have some explaining to do." I say overdramatically when I pop in.

"Oh, what ever could be the matter, Philippe my dear?" I guess she's doing the same.

"Why, oh why does Red's Mom seem like she supports our ship?" I ask.

"So you two have a ship now? Does that mean you're finally together? Does that mean you'll stop crying to me about not having a boyfriend?" She says excitedly.

"Not quite. But it looks like she's trying her hardest to get us together." What with the "Then share!" comment.

"Aren't all Moms crazy in this world? Remember Crystal's?" Oh god… Crystal's Mom…

"You're right about that. Second question. Why, why, _why _is Red's Mom called _Delia? _Is that _supposed _to be hinting towards something?" I mean, how much of a coincidence could that be?

"You're right; it _is _a coincidence. A major one at that. Although, if you really wanted to… nevermind. Just remember: Red's Mom has nothing to do with Ash. He will never show up here, nor will his story. Well… unless you want him to. Depends. For now, this is all Red, Green, Blue, Gold, Silver, Crystal… you get the idea." She explains.

"What do you mean 'unless I want him to?' Do you mean I have a choice in that?" Now I'm really confused.

"Don't worry about it for now." That's what she always says.

"Fine… You still haven't answered my first question. Why does Red's Mom want us together so much?" Wouldn't she want to keep Red as innocent as possible for as long as possible?

"Is it that bad that a mother just wants her son to find love?" She asks, faking hurt.

"No, it isn't. But it is for an 11 year old!" I answer back.

"Maybe not for Red… he's starting to mature. And in more ways than one." She winks, I blush. Furiously.

"Stop raping my mind!" I scream.

"Fine. I'll let Red do that instead." And there she goes again.

"Well, now that we've gotten most of your questions out of the way, how about we continue the story? It's been a while since I last told you any of it." She suggests.

"Sure. You left off with Legendaries being for Nature and Guardians being for Man-Made. You also mentioned that both of you were the same being in the beginning?" I help her get started.

"Right. Well, we _were_ all the same. Basically, when the Legendaries went with nature and the Guardians went with technological stuff, our bodies adapted to what we had chosen. Us Legendaries adapted to be more like the animals of other worlds, and the Guardians adapted to become creatures who were able to create technology: humans. This is where tensions rose a little between us."

"At first everything was fine; both sides minded their own business. After a while, we began arguing that one side was more influential than the other, and we fought over who'd have control. Guardians taking control of this aspect of the world, Legendaries taking over that aspect of the world, it just kept going back and forth."

" Eventually both sides became so tired that we decided to give up with the fighting and do what other worlds had done: create beings in our own forms to rule the world. That's how the Guardians became known as the Gods of Humans and the Legendaries the Gods of Pokémon. Understand everything so far?" She explains.

"Yeah, so far. But, you did know how the worlds with humans went before you, right? Usually destroying themselves?" Knowing with what's happening with Earth, I have a right to be concerned.

"Actually, only your planet is destroying itself. Every other planet's doing fine." …Ouch.

"Well, that's bad news. I'm glad I was able to escape it. At least, for now." And I wish forever.

"Let's switch topics back to history. I don't like talking about destruction." She says.

"I do have one question though. You said that each and everything had a code that determined what they had, and now you're saying that you're just now creating humans and Pokémon and plants and everything. I don't understand that." I ask.

"I was just telling you about the codes so you wouldn't be confused later on when I came to this part." Mew explains.

"I think I'm even more confused than if you hadn't have… But, alright, if that's what you say…" I can't really remember everything that she's said about the history; there's just so much of it!

"I'll continue now. We created the Pokémon and the Guardians created the Humans. After that, we kind of stepped back. We were still ruling, just not interfering as much as we were before. Which now that I think about it, confuses me. Why were we fighting over a world that had no life on it besides the ones ruling it? It just seems foolish now."

"Anyways, the Pokémon started building their own system while the Humans did the same. They kept advancing in the field of technology, while the Pokémon remained the same."

"We had a feeling that the Guardians were helping them in this aspect, and we were right. We were furious at them for interfering so much. It doesn't sound like much, but believe me, it was." Mew's started to get a little annoyed at this point, probably from remembering what happened in the past, so I decided that this would be a good point to stop.

"Mew, I think that's enough for tonight. I think that if you tell me anything else I'll just completely forget it, in one ear and out the other." Which is also true.

"Alright. I'll tell you more next time. Now, I think you should wake up. There's someone watching you…"

* * *

I wake up to see Red's Mom staring in my face. I scream, Red screams, she screams, we all scream! Hopefully for ice cream. I like ice cream.

"Mom! What are you doing here?" Red cries.

"Waiting for you two to wake up, sillies!" She answers.

"How long have you been… watching?" I decide to ask.

"Oh, maybe an hour? Wasn't really paying attention." Watching your son and his friend sleep for an hour? Not sure what to make of that.

"Alright, well, we're up now. I really think Philippe and I should be getting to the Professor's…" Red tries to get his Mom away. If I were in his position I'd be doing the same thing.

"Oh, Professor Oak! Well, you should hurry then. He _is _a busy man, after all." Red's Mom leaves us to pack up our things, and we head out.

"So, your Mom…" I start.

"Don't. Start." And I leave it at that.

We silently make our way to the Professor's Lab, noticing how quiet it is.

"Where is everyone?" I ask.

"I don't know… normally everyone's out at this time of the day. Hopefully the Professor's home." Red comments.

We make it to the Professor's Lab and knock on the door, hearing nothing.

"How about we do what we did last time?" I push the door open with Red amazed.

"Why'd you do that again? He might think we're back here to steal more Pokémon!" Red exclaims.

"Red, now that'd just be silly. Professor Oak wouldn't think that we're here to steal more Pokémon! If he did, then why'd he leave the door unlocked? Anyways, he trusted us enough to give us a PokéDex to complete." I explain. Red seems to get it.

"Professor?" I call out. Still no answer.

"Hey, I think I see someone!" Red points to a dark spot in the room, and I can make out the Professor's shape.

"You're right." I agree.

"Professor! I know that you weren't expecting us, but we just wanted to show you how the PokéDex was coming along!" Red holds out his PokéDex and waits for Oak to turn around. When he does, Red backs up a bit.

"Professor?" He asks.

"…" And then he goes berserk. He rushes up to Red and winds up a punch, which I only thought happened in movies, the bad guy giving the good guy enough time to dodge their attack.

Red dodges the blow and sends out Ivysaur immediately.

"Ivysaur, Vine Whip!" Ivysaur shoots out its two vines and tries to wrap them around Oak, halting his movement, but that didn't really work. Oak easily rips them off and begins charging towards Ivysaur. He stops midway and begins… glowing? He then raises a hand and points a finger towards Ivysaur, lifting him up in the air.

"What?! Psychic power?" Red shrieks in shock.

I've been standing back this entire time but think it's my turn now.

"G-Go, Haunter!" I stutter. Calm down Philippe, calm down…

"I-If the Professor can use P-Psychic attacks, then that should mean t-two things." I start while Red's running around the Lab, trying to avoid Oak's attacks.

"One, that he's n-not really the Professor. And two, that he s-should be weak to Ghost! Haunter, Shadow Punch!" Haunter teleports in front of the Professor and gives him a huge punch, his fist surrounded by shadows. This knocks the Professor flat on his face, and his body begins to change. First, a star appears on his fore-head, next, he gains pointed ears, until eventually he's completely changed into an Alakazam.

"Philippe, what is that?" I guess he's forgotten his Pokémon due to shock.

"It's an Alakazam, what else?" A voice says from above us. We both look up and see a woman floating in mid-air.

"Who are you?" Red demands.

"I shouldn't need to give my name to the likes of you. You know, you two have been a thorn in Team Rocket's side for a long time now. Consider this a warning: Stay out of Team Rocket's way or else much worse things will happen. But, if you really want to… come to Saffron City if you want to save your darling Professor and the rest of Pallet Town. Not that you'll succeed or anything." The woman explains.

"And why exactly not? If you haven't noticed, we've seem to have won every battle we've had with Team Rocket so far!" Red shouts.

"'So far,' yes. But you've only faced my incompetent co-workers. You'll have to face me next time. Au revoir, Red, Philippe." She snaps her fingers, Alakazam mumbles something, and both of them flash away.

"And just who does she think she is?" Red asks angrily.

"That would be Sabrina, one of the top members of team Rocket." Comes another voice from out of nowhere.

"Green!" Look who decided to show up.

"I had a feeling that something was going on here…" He says as he takes a look around the Lab which was destroyed in the fight. Never noticed it until now.

"You two, take a look at this." Green randomly takes out a photo from his pocket and hands it to Red.

"It's a picture Blue took from above Saffron City." He explains.

"Are those…" Red starts. I look over his shoulder and see what he's getting at.

"Yeah… Those are Team Rocket grunts, aren't they?" I finish.

"So, by telling us to go to Saffron…"

"They want us to fight."


	27. Silph Co

Author's Note:

Nothing much to say. Read, Review, the usual. This chapter almost ties with the previous longest chapter, but that's because I had to fit six chapters into one; they really didn't know when to stop, did they? Anyways, here you go.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Pokémon. Nintendo does.

* * *

"Philippe… why are you wearing Red's clothes?" Green asks from across the table. We had decided to go back to Red's house to get everything settled before we went off chasing Team Rocket again.

"Long story." I reply.

"With how long Red's Mom's taking, looks like we have all the time in the world." He responds, annoyed. He might not care, but since he's been in Saffron for the past couple of days he must be starving after coming all the way over here. He's going to eat.

"Alright, maybe it's not that long. Since we've been wearing the same clothes since the beginning of our journey, they've been completely torn and ripped. Since we were here I suggested that Red get a change of clothes." I begin to explain.

"And because Philippe only has his one outfit, I lent him one of mine!" Red finishes.

"Well, it suits you… I guess." He says. Gasp. Did Green just compliment me?

Red's Mom comes in at this moment and begins setting the table.

"Sorry that it took so long. _Somebody _decided to eat everything that I had prepared!" Red's mom looks towards Red and he blushes.

"You were the one who set it all out!" He argues.

"Well, I guess you're right. Good thing I had picked up the essentials last time I went shopping!" "Essentials?" She has almost as much as she had the last time we ate.

"So, are you another one of Red's little friends?" His mom asks.

"No!" Red and Green shout in unison.

"Sounds like you're good friends to me!" I wonder what she thinks enemies are like…

"No we're not!" Red continues to shout.

"Tee-hee… fine. Whatever you say, Red." His mom gives in.

"Now that we're finished with everything here, how about we head back to the lab?" Green says impatiently, waiting at the door.

"Alright, alright, we're coming." Red says. Both of us get up and head out the door once more.

We make it to the lab, and surprisingly it's exactly how it was when we last were here.

"Why do you think they'd do something like this?" Red asks, still amazed that Team Rocket destroyed the place.

"Maybe Oak had something they wanted?" I suggest. But, what could it be?

"My grandfather does a lot of research… that could be it." Green agrees.

"But, what could he have been researching that Team Rocket would want?" Think… think…

"Mew!" Red bursts aloud.

"What about her?" I ask.

"Didn't we ask Professor Oak about Mew when we got back from the forest, Philippe? He said that he didn't know much about her, so he must've been researching her after we left! And since Team Rocket's chasing after her… they must've wanted the info that he had!" Sounds plausible.

"No. My Grandfather would never research something so dangerous. He knows his boundaries" Green argues.

"But why else would they come here?" Red shouts back.

"I don't know! I just know that it isn't because of anything my Grandfather did!" Green defends Oak.

"If you don't know, then why are you saying it can't be? Maybe the Professor was researching Mew in secret!" Red yells louder. I'm letting him get his frustration out this time. Earlier with Misty, I stopped him because we're all friends. With Green, they're rivals, so it's good to let him get his rage out once in a while.

"No, he wasn't!" Green throws a punch at Red and grazes his cheek. Red tries to do the same, but this time I hold him back.

"Red, fighting's not going to get us anywhere!" I try to rationalize. I feel like I'm the only one who'd rather use words than actions. I just hope Red gets it through his skull that that's not the only way.

"Red, do you know why my Grandfather chose this place to conduct his research?" Green starts.

"…" Red waits for him to continue, still trying to break free.

"It's because of how clean and peaceful this area is. Pallet Town is far away from any major city, thus making it pollution-free. The air is clean, the water is clean, there's nothing here to scare away the Pokémon. It's so far away that there's no influence of Team Rocket either. My Grandfather didn't want to be involved with anything related to Team Rocket, so he tried to stay as far away from them as he could. He knew that researching Mew would attract their attention, so I'm sure that he wouldn't do so." Green explains.

"But now that Team Rocket has come, they've polluted my town. They've polluted Pallet Town, the place that my Grandfather settled down. And I'll not stand for it! Red, I only told you about Team Rocket being in Saffron City because you're the one who caused this. You're the one they're after. I'm not that cruel as to withhold information that could save your life. I'm just going to say one thing. Red, even though I told you where Team Rocket is, stay away from them. This is my town, and this is my fight." Green sends out Charizard and flies away. Huh, looks like it evolved.

"Philippe, what was that for?" Red yells at me when I let him go.

"Why didn't you let me get him? He would've deserved every punch!" He continues.

"Red, please, don't start this again. I don't like it when you're mad." I sigh.

"He's the one who started it!" Red argues.

"It doesn't matter. Two wrongs don't make a right." I should really listen to myself more often. I'm usually a hypocrite when it comes to these things.

"But… Gah!" Red shouts to the sky this time, probably hoping that Green can still hear him.

"Philippe, you may be right on that one, but I'm going to follow him no matter what. Even though Pallet Town is his town, it's my town as well. I'm going to stop Team Rocket for everyone here, for my mother, and for you. I've decided that you're going to stay with me after this entire thing is over, and I have to protect it if you're to be here." …Did he say that I was going to stay with him?

"What do you mean, 'stay with you?'" I ask.

"Well, since you said that your parents are always busy and can't look after you that often, why not just stay with me? My mother gives me too much attention when it's just us two; having someone else around will help both her and myself. It's also boring when it's just her and I." He admits.

"I'd be honored to stay with you, Red." And I mean it.

"Now, for that to happen, we have to stop Team Rocket, right? Let's head to Saffron then!" Red sends out Aerodactyl and mounts. He reaches his hand out to me and helps me on.

* * *

"I'm never going to get used to this." I say as I grip his waist tighter. I'm still not used to flying, and I don't think I ever will be. I like it on the ground. It's safe.

"Don't worry, we're almost there. I can see Saffron." He points out towards the distance.

"You think that's why we can't get in?" I spot a little disturbance in the air above Saffron. It's probably the barrier that Sabrina put up.

"Well, only one way to find out! Aerodactyl, Hyper Beam!" He couldn't wait for us to get off first? Aerodactyl launches the Hyper Beam, is shaken up a bit, almost throws us off, then settles down.

"Drat! Not even a dent!" What do you expect from Sabrina?

"What if Green was right? What if it really_ is_ impossible to get in?" It can't be impossible. That's not how these kinds of stories work. And with that mind frame, I'll probably be killed extremely soon.

"Isn't that Green over there?" Speak of the devil, it is.

"He's not going to get all the glory for saving Pallet!" We aren't even sure of what he's doing yet and Red automatically assumes it's going to work. Way to have him on a pedestal.

Red has Aerodactyl fly upwards until we're level with Green.

"Quit copying me!" Green shouts.

"Who's copying who?" You are, actually, Red.

"Top, bottom, sides, over, under, whatever. It doesn't matter. Nothing's able to break through it. But, if there's no way to break through the barrier using brute strength, then there might be a way to break though it using another method…" Green has Charizard fly down and land, Red following behind. I'm still stuck behind Red, grabbing his waist for dear life.

Once Green lands he sends out Golduck and has him use a Psychic. He takes out his own PokéDex and starts looking at it thoughtfully.

"Gah! We have to do something before Green figures out a way to get in before we do!" Red frantically tries to think of an idea, but nada.

"Philippe, help me think!" Normally, Red would have Pikachu use Substitute and have the substitute go through the barrier, but since I don't think Pikachu knows it, it won't work.

I take out Red's PokéDex to see if it has any suggestions for me. All it says is that the barrier in front of us is really "Light Screen."

"Red, this thing says that there's a Light Screen that's being projected by a Pokémon inside the city." I explain.

"Alright… Philippe, isn't Haunter made mostly of gases?" Red says.

"Yes, why?" Where's he going with this?

"Then wouldn't Haunter probably be able to just slide past the barrier?" He's got a point.

"I'm not sure… Haunter, come out!" I send out Haunter and tell him what Red's said. Haunter glides over to the barrier and slides right in.

"It worked!" Red seems to be happy. Of course he would be; he thought of this himself.

"Well, now that Haunter's in, how will we be able to communicate with him about where to go? Actually, where _should _he go? We don't even know where Team Rocket's HQ is in the city!" He didn't think that through, now did he?

"You're right, Philippe! Although, for communicating, even though he's a ghost type he still has telepathy. For the directions… How about you ask Green?" Blue says, scaring both Red and I with her sudden appearance.

"Why would we ask Green for help?" Red snarls.

"Because without his help, you won't be able to find Team Rocket. Without your help, he won't be able to either. So, the only way you'll be able to is by working together." Blue always knows how to force Red to do what she says, even if he doesn't want to.

Red mumbles as he walks over to where Green is and begins talking with him. Blue walks over to me.

"So, how's it going between you two?" Of course that'd be the first thing she asks me.

"Not well… he still thinks of me as a friend. Although, he did ask me to stay with him after this entire Team Rocket ordeal is over. He says it's because it's boring with only him and his Mom." I explain.

"That's something, at least. You two will be able to get closer that way. And you'll also have a lot of alone time…" She winks at that, and I blush. She might be as bad as Gold, just not as outright with it.

"Philippe, Green said that he'd be willing to cooperate. He'll tell you where the HQ is, and you tell Haunter how to get there." Red tells us.

"Sure."

* * *

_There it is! Haunter, Shadow Ball! _I command. Blue was right; I'm able to communicate with Haunter telepathically. Never knew that was possible with Ghost Pokémon. I never knew it was possible, period, besides with Sabrina.

The Mr. Mime that was controlling the Light Screen faints from the Shadow Ball, and the screen flickers for a second before disappearing entirely.

"We did it! Great job, Philippe!" Red cheers.

"Now all that's left is- hey, Green! Wait for us!" Red chases after Green as he starts running into the city. I follow suit.

"Green, stop! Why are you running all of a sudden?" Red questions.

"I didn't accept your help so you could defeat Team Rocket. I only accepted your help to get into the city. I don't need you anymore." Ouch. Harsh much?

"Now where are they?" Green asks himself angrily.

We continue walking around the city until Green stops in front of a building.

"This must be it…" He says to himself.

"How do you know they're here?" Red asks.

"Will you two stop following me?!" He yells.

"The reason how I know this is it is because this is where the Mr. Mime was when he was projecting the Light Screen." He decides to explain. He's right. I see Haunter floating around and return him. He must've been bored waiting for us.

"It'd be much safer if we all went in together, wouldn't it?" I try to get Green to agree, and he just sighs.

"It's just like Lavender Tower all over again…"

The three of us enter the building in silence. We continue walking a bit until I hear Red give a little yelp.

"Red, what's wrong?" I say as I turn around. I can immediately see what's wrong; Red's fallen and is hanging onto the edge of the floor, trying not to fall all the way down the hole that's opened up beneath him.

"Red!" I run over to him and grab his hand, trying to pull him up. After struggling with that for a few seconds I feel someone push me down and I end up falling with Red. I'm almost positive that Green isn't _that _evil, but…

"Ow…" Red groans. Whenever we fall, I seem to always be on top of him.

"Sorry…" I apologize as I get off of him.

"Where do you think we are?" I ask.

"I have no idea… I know we haven't been here-" Red's interrupted as he bumps into something.

"Wha…" He's thrown back a couple seconds later.

"Why do I keep getting knocked down?" He says. I help him up.

"What was that?" I ask again.

"It was some sort of electric wall. But, the power… it felt familiar." Oh no… not _him _again. I quietly take out Haunter's pokéball and send him out behind me. I think that I'm going to need him soon… I have Haunter perform the trick I taught him one night; hiding in my shadows so he won't be seen.

"Does this seem familiar to you as well?" Yep. It's him.

"You!" Red shouts as he turns towards Surge.

"Yes, me. You two brats ruined my plans back in Vermillion. You two won't ruin them now!" He takes the launcher that he was carrying on his shoulder and aims it towards us. Lt. Surge is much scarier in real life.

"Sayonara!" He fires the launcher towards us and as soon as Red realizes what's happening, he jumps in front of me. The Electrode hits him square in the chest and he's down.

"Red!" I scream again.

"It's alright… it wasn't that much. Surge… tell me… Why do you work… for Team Rocket?" Red asks between gasps.

"So, figured it out huh? Well, I guess you deserve an answer then. I used to be a Gym Leader. I was honorable and all that. I battled fairly, I followed the rules, but what did that ever get me? Nothing." Surge explains.

"Being with Team Rocket promises me power. Power that I've always wanted. You see this suit? Electrodes are fast, faster than most other Pokémon, but they're not very strong. This launcher gives them the power they need, as well as additional strength. The Magnetons on my shoulders act as both defensive and offensive supports. And do you know who got me this suit? Team Rocket."

"Do you even know… what Team Rocket stands for?" Red asks him after his explanation.

"Yes. Team Rocket stands for power." Surge states.

"No, it doesn't… Team Rocket stands for everything… that's bad in the world. Team Rocket uses Pokémon… for their own selfish desires." Red says.

"And what's wrong with that?" Surge laughs. "If humans want to use Pokémon for what they want, why can't they? Pokémon are tools, nothing more."

"You're wrong! Pokémon… are our friends! Pokémon aren't just tools, they have to… be taken care of and treated with respect! Otherwise, what kind… of world do we live in?" Red's pushing himself too far… even though he was only hit once, it knocked the wind completely out of him.

"Red… stop pushing yourself! You're only going to make things worse!" I try to calm him.

"Your little friend's right. You should stop struggling and just give up." Surge laughs once more and this time has one of the Magnetons on his shoulders send an electric current towards both of us. It hits, and I'm down as well.

I'm instantly stunned and sent to the ground with him. I can't feel any pain, but… that's probably because I'm paralyzed. I can surprisingly still speak, however. Red only had the wind knocked out of him because the Electrode wasn't producing any electricity at the time, so he could still move a little.

"How… does he have so much power?" Red asks, gasping for air even more than before.

"Ahahaha! Do you really want to know how I have so much power? Why that power is endless? Well, since you're going to die anyways, I might as well tell you! You see, the reason that I have so much power is right underneath you!" The floor moves away to reveal a glass one underneath, and through the glass we can see a huge bird, similar to the one we met on Seafoam Island.

"Say hello to Zapdos!"

"I-it can't be!" Red says incredulously.

"But it is! We found Zapdos at the abandoned power plant; it was like he was _asking _to be captured." Surge boasts.

"Magneton, lets show them what power Zapdos really has." Magneton shoots another electrical current towards us which hits directly. I… can't really think much now… Red seems to be having an easier time… dealing with the shock than I am. He sends out Aerodactyl. Looks like he's still retained his common sense… I can't really see what's happening, but Red's gotten back up, amazingly.

"You choose a flying type to battle me? Ha! Looks like the shock's done something to your brain!" I hear Surge faintly. Red shouts something to Aerodactyl and the Pokémon slams into Surge, not being affected by the electricity.

By this time I've almost passed out and can't comprehend anything that's happening. I see Red shout something else to Aerodactyl, the Pokémon opening it fangs, then a huge flash of light. After that there's nothing else.

* * *

"Philippe…?" I hear someone, but I can't see anything. My body's stiff and I can't open my eyes.

"Philippe, please wake up. You're starting to scare me." The voice sounds urgent, so I try to force my eyes open. They do, and I see Red and Haunter both hovering over me.

"To tell you the truth… I've been scared since I first realized how you were." He sighs a sigh of relief once he realizes that I'm awake.

"W…what happened?" I asked.

"You passed out. I guess you couldn't take the electricity that Surge shot at you. Philippe… you were smart. If it wasn't for Haunter shielding you from most of the blows, then who knows what would've happened." I remember sending out Haunter into my shadows before Surge came out, but I don't know what he did.

"Haunter… shielded me?" I ask again.

"Yes, he did. Now, come on. We can't stay here for much longer." Red sends out Poliwrath and has him pick me up. I don't know how much use I'd be on the ground, so I'm thankful.

"Philippe, look what I got." He shows me the Thunder Badge he took from Surge to try to lighten the mood.

"So, how many does that make now?" I ask weakly.

"So far I've gotten five badges. Only three more until I can enter the League." Only three… how does time move so fast? It feels like just yesterday that we were starting off from Pallet Town for the first time.

We reach the top of the stairs and enter another large room, this one with two people standing in the center.

"Green!" Red shouts. He's right… Green's on the ground, covered in muck, while Koga's standing above him. At least, I think it's Koga.

"Golbat, finish him!" Golbat swipes down to attack Green.

"Haunter, Psychic!" Red shouts. Golbat stops in his tracks and flaps wildly about.

"So, you two again, huh? Grimer, restrain them!" Grimer travels across the floor and covers us just like he has with Green. Grimer covers Poliwrath's legs, making him immobile. Haunter floats back over to me, waiting for a command.

"If you two have made it this far, you must've beaten Lt. Surge. Not without some casualties, I see…" He says as he looks at me.

"Nonetheless, I shouldn't underestimate you, now should I?" He says.

"Green, wake up! This isn't like you!" Red shouts to him.

"It's no use. He's out cold. Now all that's left is to finish what we've started." Golbat once again speeds towards Green's neck, but not before he and Koga are both hit in the chest.

"Good job… Pidgeot." Green says quietly.

"H-how did you… survive Golbat's attack?" Koga says, gasping for breath.

"It's a little pendent that my grandfather gave me that protects me from harm." Green says, getting up.

"I knew that if I feinted fainting for long enough, you'd believe that I was really out and didn't have to worry about me." Green explains.

"Clever… but are you clever enough to handle this?" He takes out another pokéball and out comes Articuno, the second of the bird trio.

Koga walks up to Red and holds Golbat out like a knife.

"One move and your friend gets it." He directs towards Green.

I quietly tell Haunter to hide in the shadows like he did downstairs, and he disappears.

"You're Red, right? You're the kid who was on Seafoam islands when we caught Articuno. You gave us a lot of trouble back there, you know. But in the end, Team Rocket got what they wanted. Team Rocket always gets what they want. And it was all thanks to you" Red gives a little gasp at that.

"Articuno spent an enormous amount of energy trying to protect you and your friend over there, so that made it easier for us to capture it!" Koga laughs.

"Articuno…" Red looks at the bird with sad eyes, regretting what he did. He shouldn't, though. He was trying to protect her just as much as she was trying to protect us!

"This is what one would call 'irony.' The one who protected you before will now destroy you! Articuno, Ice Beam!" Articuno opens its mouth and sends a beam of ice towards Red, hitting him square in the chest. It doesn't freeze him solid like it was supposed to, however. I see that Red's a little darker than normal and immediately understand. When I asked Haunter to hide in the shadows, he decided to hide in Red's shadow. He must've protected him like he protected me… He must be close to fainting by now!

"The Soul Badge!" Green shouts from across the room.

"So, you finally noticed? Yes, not only do the Gym Badges prove that one has defeated the Leader of said Gym, but they also give the holder a tremendous amount of control over Pokémon! This Articuno happens to be under the control of four badges; that is why it obeys my every command." Typical bad guy. Revealing his plan to the good guys when he thinks he's won. Also, Articuno's being controlled by three badges now, since Red has one of them.

"Because of these badges, we're now able to control every Pokémon we encounter! What good is one badge compared to four?" Koga continues.

"Green, run!" Green does just that. Koga, however, has a different plan. He has Articuno use Sheer Cold which hits both Red and Green. I'm on the other side of the room, so I'm safe. For now.

Haunter couldn't have possibly blocked that attack… Both Red and Green are frozen solid. If I remember correctly, Sheer Cold attacks with wind at absolute zero. I hope they'll be able to thaw out of there safely…

"They would've made great underlings if only they had realized when they were beaten… How about you, kid?" He says to me.

"You honestly think… that I'd join you after… you froze my friends?" I question.

"I didn't think you'd be willing. Oh well. Looks like I'll just have to freeze you too. Articuno, you know what to do!" Articuno opens its mouth again, shoots a beam of ice, but the ice doesn't get far enough to hit me before it melts in mid-air.

"What?!" Koga shouts angrily.

I look over towards Red and Green and see that they're melting as well.

"Good job, Charizard." Green says after his head's been unfrozen. Pokémon logic. You can be completely frozen and unfrozen and be absolutely fine afterwards. Except for Bill. He's just unlucky.

"How did you release your Charizard?!" Koga shouts.

"I had him patrolling the outside of the building, just in case I ran into trouble."  
Which you did.

"Charizard, finish him." Charizard blows one last breath of fire towards Koga, and he's down.

"You should've been more prepared…" Green bends down and takes the Soul Badge from Koga.

"Green, you didn't have to… scorch the entire building!" Red complains. Before anything else, I return Haunter to his pokéball, silently thanking him for everything he's done.

"Did you have a better idea? I didn't think so." Green sends out Golduck and has him use Confusion again.

"Damn… Golduck can't pick up a signal. Something must be blocking psychic powers." Green explains.

"Guess I'll have to use this…" Green picks up Golbat and looks towards the screen in its mouth. Seriously, how is that possible?

"Golbat, show me… where Professor Oak is!" The screen flickers for a second, then shows Professor Oak's location.

"G-Grandpa!" Green shrieks. Green and shrieking do _not _make a good combo. Speaking of shrieking, someone else just did. And it sounded like it came from upstairs.

"That sounded like Blue!" Red says.

"Red, here. Take this." Green throws the Soul Badge to Red and he catches it.

"Remember what Koga said! With all four badges… you can practically control every Pokémon!" Green starts running towards where it seems like Professor Oak would be, leaving Red and I alone once again.

"Looks like it's up to us to save Blue, Philippe." Red tells me.

"Yeah… I think I can walk on my own now. The fire seems to have jump started my senses." They were fried from the electricity, now they're burning. What next?

"I'm not sure if I should be happy about that…" Red mumbles.

"What about you? You were frozen at absolute zero, then burned out of the ice. How are you fine?" Pokémon logic.

"I have no idea. Just, don't question it." I'll question Mew, not it.

"Let's start heading upstairs."

We do just that, and we continue up what seems to be like an endless flight of stairs. We eventually make it to a room that branches off from the main hallway and decide to check what's in there.

"Philippe, there's this weird thing on a pedestal." He walks over to it and picks it up. Red, didn't your mom teach you not to pick up strange objects? Actually… did your mom teach you anything about safety?

"Those indents look familiar…" I say as I walk up to him.

We study the circular object for a couple more seconds until we hear something from outside. Enter grunts #1 and #2.

"…Those kids defeated both Lt. Surge and Koga, as well as set the building on fire!" Grunt #1 says.

"Yeah. Although, even though we were sent to find them, we can't risk leaving the Pokémon Badge Energy Amplifier alone." What a name.

"Philippe, that must be this thing!" Red says in a whisper.

"And what exactly are you two doing here for?" A woman speaks.

"L-Lady Sabrina!" The grunts say in shock.

"Did a girl come running by here?" She asks. Blue, Blue, Blue. Whatever did you do?

"No, Lady Sabrina!" Grunt #1 answers.

"You're relieved of your duties. Go find that girl!" They both run downstairs in search for her.

"That's the woman who attacked the lab!" Red says.

"And she's coming this way!" I whisper back.

"Hide!" Red drags me behind the pedestal. Hopefully Sabrina won't look here… hah, why am I even bothering to hope?

"She must be looking for this." Red says, seeing Sabrina look around the room.

"Yeah… Hey, Red, about those indents. Since the Grunt called it the 'Pokémon Badge Energy Amplifier,' don't you think that the Pokémon Badges would fit into the indents?" I say.

"You're right! That would mean I only need one more to have all seven… But, what about the eight badge you need to enter the League?" He asks.

"Show yourself!" Sabrina eventually shouts.

"Looks like we have no choice… Go, Mankey!" Red sends out Mankey behind the pedestal and has him charge at Sabrina. A few feet away from her, however, he stops and sniffs her, then cuddles.

"Looks like someone knows I'm not the enemy. And it looks like you two have found the device as well" Sabrina says to us. She then puts her hand on her face and does a ripping motion, taking off a glob of something from her face, revealing her to be none other than Blue. I can honestly say that I did not see this coming.

"Blue!" Red shouts.

"Did you forget that I'm a master of disguise?" I did, at least.

"Hehe… I guess I did." He says, embarrassed.

"Oh! And lookie here!" She takes out something from her pocket, showing Red her newly acquired badge.

"I took this badge from that Sabrina lady!" She exclaims.

"W-What?! Blue, give that to me!" Red says as he rushes up to her, trying to take it from her hand.

"'Give?' I don't 'give' anything! If you really want this badge, you're gonna have to trade me something. I'd really like that Moon Stone you found a while ago." She proposes.

"What Moon Stone?" Red asks. Seriously, I don't remember a Moon Stone.

"Oh, don't be silly! Of course you know which one I'm talking about!" She continues.

"Blue, do we really need to fight? If we just work together then we can get out of here much quicker!" In case they've forgotten, the building _is_ on fire from Green's Charizard.

"No, we don't need to work together. Listen, you came here to stop Team Rocket from terrorizing everyone, and I respect that. You're always trying to be the noble one. I, on the other hand, came here for an entirely different reason. If you'd just trade me that Moon Stone, both of our wants will be fulfilled." I wonder what cause that would be…

"And why should I trust you? You've conned me in the past, what makes it that you won't do it again?" Red says warily.

"Because this is something that I want, and if I want it then I won't do anything to jeopardize my chances at getting it.

"Philippe, do you think I should trust her?" I snap out of my daze when he says my name. I'm not used to people asking me for their opinions, let alone in this world.

"If Blue really wants the Moon Stone, and she has no use for the Badge, then why should she trick you?" I ask him.

"Fine…" Red takes out the Moon Stone and gives it to Blue, Blue giving him the Badge in return.

"Oh, by the way… that machine that you have there. If you place all seven badges into the slots, it boosts the power of a Pokémon immensely." Blue explains.

"So that's what it does!" Red exclaims. He sends out Ivysaur and starts putting in the badges.

"It's not called the 'Pokémon Badge Energy Amplifier' for nothing." I say. The name basically tells what it does.

"All the more reason for me to kill you…" Another voice comes from outside the room.

"All of you… made a fool of Team Rocket… Now hand over the device!" Sabrina screams as she steps into the room, sending out Kadabra.

"Well, looks like it's time to test this out!" Red finishes putting in the last badge into the Amplifier and points it at Ivysaur. Nothing happens.

"…Huh?" Red comments. Blue then grabs the Amplifier and tries to take it from him.

"Sigh…" I say vocally. I send out Pikachu, knowing that I'll have to intervene somehow.

"It's mine!" Red shouts.

"Give it to me!" Blue shouts back. They sound like a couple of kids fighting over a toy. Which, really, they are.

"Kadabra, Psychic!" Kadabra points its spoons towards Red and Blue and flings them back towards the wall, the Amplifier going in Blue's direction. She picks it up and starts running out the door.

"Sorry, Red! But did you seriously think that the badges I gave back to you were real?" Again, I can honestly say I did not see that coming.

"I'll leave Sabrina to you!" She says as she passes through the doorway.

"I can't believe her!" I do.

"Moltres, go." Sabrina sends out Moltres and orders Kadabra to go get Aritcuno and Zapdos.

Suddenly, before any of us can do anything else, a huge sphere of light enters the room.

"What's that?!" Red shouts.

"It's finally time…"

* * *

"What is that thing?" Red shouts at the sphere. The ball then changes shape into a bird like thing, and once it takes on actual colors is revealed to be the Three Legendary Birds, all mutated into one being. Talk about a sick sight to behold.

"Because of the power contained within the seven badges, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres became one being!" Sabrina explains.

"What's goi-" Blue starts as she walks back in, being cut off via fainting from the sight of the bird.

"Fire Spin! Thunder! Blizzard!" Sabrina commands. The three heads all attack at once, aiming for Red and I. I grab Pikachu just before they hit and they launch us backwards into the wall, creating a gigantic hole. Luckily we didn't fall through.

"This is Team Rocket's greatest scientific achievement. A simultaneous attack by three different Pokémon at once, with three different types. As you probably have guessed by now, yes, Eevee was our prototype for this experiment. Even though you took it, we still had the data from the tests we had run. We just had to modify it to fit on a much larger scale." Sabrina explains.

"Ivysaur, Solarbeam!" Ivysaur charges, then launches it towards the birds. Nothing happens.

"Don't you see? Anything you try is useless! The power from the badges is so great, nothing can stop it! We knew we needed the badges from the start. In the end, we decided to let you and Green collect them all for us." She continues.

"To thank you… I'll let you die! Pallet Town will finally serve a purpose once we take control!" Sabrina shouts.

"Pallet Town is my home! It's Green's home! We won't let you take it from us!

"Ivysaur, Solarbeam!" The same thing happened as last time; nothing.

"Red, that won't work; it didn't work the first time. Charizard and I will help." Green says, flying through the hole. Charizard lands in the building, and he dismounts.

"You two… you don't know when to quit, do you? You're both strong… you would've been able to make something of your life if you only knew your limits. It's sad, really, but I have no other choice. Triple Gust!" The bird heads all use a super-powered version of gust which blow us into another portion of the wall.

"Philippe, are you alright?" Red asks me.

"I… not really…" I can't believe how Red and Green, even Blue, have been able to withstand all of these attacks, but me… I've been almost killed multiple times. I _would've _been killed if it wasn't for all of our Pokémon.

"Green, distract Sabrina for a bit!" Green nods and orders Charizard to attack the three heads.

"Philippe, I have to go help Green stop Sabrina. Will you be ok being alone for a while?" He asks.

"If you have to… you have to." He nods and runs over to Blue.

I can't really think straight now… I close my eyes and hope for the best. In my current condition, there's not much I can do… I'd probably just get in the way.

I hear the sound of evolution. I'm pretty sure that Red's taken Blue's Clefairy and evolved it. I crack open my eyes and confirm my thoughts, then shut them again.

Why am I so weak? Even though whenever we're in danger of endangering our lives, I've been there to stop Red from doing anything reckless. However… whenever our lives have actually been in danger, Red's there to save us both. From Surge, both times, from Koga, from Sabrina… I've never been one to take charge. I've always let other people take care of me… I don't like being weak. I…

The Pokéball that Mew gave me (Funny how I didn't remember about it until now) begins burning against my side, where it's been all this time. A huge flash of light obscures my vision, even with my eyes being shut and I… can't remember much after that. I black out.


	28. Shopping Spree

Author's Note:

It's been eight days since my last update. I'VE FAILED YOU... Well, only by one day, so it's not that bad. Only thing I think I should say is: Help! I'm drowning in melodrama!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. Nintendo does.

* * *

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Would any of you like to explain to me what just happened?" I feel weak, I lie down, I close my eyes, I see a huge white flash, I appear here.

"That would be incredibly difficult to explain, I'm afraid." A newcomer speaks. I can see Mew, but I can also see three different girls. They all look to be in their late teens, one in a blue dress, one in a yellow dress, and one in a red dress. The one who spoke is in the yellow. They remind me much of the mutated bird I saw earlier…

"Yes. I'm not sure that we would be allowed to let such information be known to you." The one in the red dress says.

"Although… we might be able to say just enough to sate your curiosity." The one in the blue dress speaks.

"Philippe, what they're trying to say is… there's little we can tell you. Some of the story you already know, some you'll learn, and some… you can't." Mew explains.

"Oh, that's alright. I'm used to being left in the dark." They all recoil a little due to my words.

"It's nothing like that! It's just… we're not allowed to." Mew explains further.

"It's fine. I'd just like to know what that flash was. I was feeling useless then saw a huge white flash. Then nothing. What was the flash?" I ask again.

"I'll let Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres explain that." So I _was _right as to who they are.

"It was power. Pure power. That's all there is to it." Articuno begins.

"Mew had warned you that keeping your emotions to yourself would be disastrous." Zapdos continues.

"All of that built up emotion was too much for you to handle, so you let it all out in that explosion. Philippe, you have more power than you realize. You aren't as weak as you think you are. You just don't know how to control that power yet. And no, we won't tell you how to. Not that we know, anyways." Moltres finishes.

"So, what exactly did that flash do anyways?" I'm curious by now.

"It separated us. We owe you our thanks for that." All three nod simultaneously.

"But… I wasn't intending to do that… I just wanted to help Red and the others. How did I separate you?" Random powers that I never knew I had. One more cliché to add to the tally.

"Like they said earlier, you have no control over your strength right now. You just let the energy go, and it was absorbed into whatever it could find. That being the three standing with us right now. What happened there on after was just luck." Mew says.

"Then you don't really have to thank me, if it wasn't my exact doing." I say to the three.

"If it wasn't for your power, then we'd probably still be at the mercy of that witch, Sabrina." Articuno says.

"So, you wouldn't happen to be able to tell me how or why I have this power, would you?" It's a long shot, but meh.

"No, I'm afraid not." Zapdos answers.

"Does that satisfy your curiosity?" Mew asks me.

"For now, yes. You do know that I'll be asking you more about it in the future, right?" She sighs and nods. Then I get another flash of white, only this time it's familiar.

* * *

I open my eyes and the first thing I see is Red. Of course it's him; who else could it be? I take a quick look at his face and notice that his eyes are blood red. He must've had a hard night… I just hope that he's better.

I take my eyes off him and take a look around. I'm back in the Pokémon Center. It seems I'm always ending up here… I look at the window and pause. Something strange's going on, because I see Blue and Red's Mom in the window, Blue with a camera in hand. I rub my eyes, blink, and they're gone. Must've been my imagination.

I look down at the boy lying next to me and begin to stroke his hair. I don't know why I'm doing this. It just feels… right. I continue to do this until he starts to shift a little, and I know that he's waking up.

"Red…" I begin.

"Mhm…" He's still so sleepy.

"Red, open your eyes." I say.

He opens his eyes a little and sees me.

"Philippe… you're awake." He says, looking directly at me.

"Yeah. I guess we both had a rough night last night, huh?" I say.

"…Why us?" Red asks.

"Excuse me?" I'm still tired myself, so I'm slow at thinking.

"Why does it have to be us… who fights evil? Why can't it be someone else?" He exclaims.

"That's what everyone says, Red. They never think it'll be them. But, for some people, it is." I explain.

"Why us…? We're just kids…" He restates.

"That's the part about fate I don't like. But… I feel like, it's because we're destined to do this." I've always been one big on destiny and fate. I feel like it's what brought me here in the first place.

"I don't like fate then." He says.

"Neither do I… For this cruel trick being played on us. Red, how about you go back to sleep. You know I'm awake, you know I'm fine… And you're still tired." So am I, but I'm willing to stay up.

"No, that's alright. I'm much better now." He starts to get up and off of the bed.

"So, how are you feeling?" He asks.

"Sore. Very, very sore. Also, one thing. Where did my clothes go?" I noticed that I was wearing just a hospital gown underneath, and even though they're technically Red's clothes I'm curious as to where they are.

"Well, you see, they're sorta scattered about the Silph Company building in pieces. There was a lot that happened before, and after, you blacked out." I assumed so. Wait…

"Exactly when did my clothes become scattered?" I asked.

"Right after the blast." …I blush the brightest I've ever before as the realization hits me. If my clothes were destroyed after that explosion, that means that I was completely naked until someone clothed me. In front of everyone else.

"I-it's not like anyone was looking or anything!" Red stutters as he realizes my thoughts.

"We were all concerned about you more than anything else." He explains.

"That makes me feel a lot better. Now, one last thing. What exactly _did _happen after I blacked?" I ask.

"First, I think it was due to the blast that the battle ended. Once it reached the Pokémon, the three birds all split apart. After that it was easy to chase Sabrina off. The blast also kinda destroyed the building itself. Don't worry, everyone got out safely." Red explains. As soon as he said the word "Pokémon," I panic. Pikachu!

"Red, where's Pikachu?" I ask in a worried tone.

"Don't worry. Pikachu's recovering in his ball right now. The nurses took care of him and they say that all he needs now is rest." I'm so stupid! Why did I send out Pikachu knowing that something was going to happen?

"That's good…" I still feel guilty knowing he's alright, but I'm a bit better now.

"Oh, and guess what?" He says.

"What?"

"Because we saved the city, they gave us a reward!" Red then proceeds to take out a huge wad of cash. What.

"Did they seriously give us that much for just saving their city?!" I don't know whether it's the tiredness or the shock of the money that's making me say things that don't make any sense right now.

"Yeah, we save cities all the time! We don't need a reward!" Red jokes.

"Now that we have that money, what should we do with it?" I ask.

"I don't know, spend it?" You don't say.

"I mean where. The largest store around here is the Celadon Department Store, but that'd take a while to get to…" We start thinking of how we'd get me there when the door bursts open.

"Did I hear someone say shopping?" Not in those exact words…

"Blue, when did you get here?" Red shouts.

"I've been here all along, silly! And so has your mom! It's been very interesting talking with her." Now's Red's turn to blush.

"What has she been saying!?" Red demands.

"Just about how cute you were as a baby!" Speak of the devil…ess.

"Mom!" I can tell Red's feeling very uncomfortable right now.

"What is it?" Is she really that oblivious?

"What are _you _doing here?" He asks.

"I heard about what happened here and I left right away!" She says in mock-worry.

"Um… if you haven't noticed, I'm kind of incapacitated right now. I'd really like some alone time to recover." I ask.

"Wow! What a big word for such a young boy!" I blush.

"Well then, let's go Red. I think we should leave Philippe alone." Isn't that what I just said?

"Red can stay." I say. Blue and Red's Mom look at each other, nod, then leave.

"Red, could you get me Pikachu's ball?" He goes over to his bag, takes out a pokéball and hands it to me.

"Pikachu, I'm sorry for sending you out into danger. I never thought that something like that could happen…" I speak to the ball. I'm sure Pikachu can hear me either way.

"Alright. Red, how about we go do that shopping now?" I suggest.

"Philippe, what's with the change in attitude? First you're worried, then you're happy, then you say you need time to recover, now you want to leave?" I guess I did kind of change attitudes quickly.

"I don't really need time to recover. I just wanted to get them to leave. And about the mood swings… I guess I'm just thinking that I shouldn't worry about the past and that I should be looking towards the future. Do whatever makes me happiest. And what'd make me happy is to get some new clothes. I don't want to be walking around in a gown for the rest of our journey!" I explain.

"That makes sense. So, how are we going to get you out of here without any of the nurses, Blue, or my mom seeing us?" Never thought of that…

"How about a window? That always works in movies." I suggest.

"Worth a shot. Are you sure you'll be able to make it?" He asks, concerned.

"If anything you'd just have to bring me there yourself. Not my problem." He pouts a little, then leaves. I wait a couple of minutes before he's outside the window. I grab my bag, open it, and climb out while managing to land on top of him. This just proves my point on how I always am.

"Sorry about that." I giggle.

"Well, it's nice to see that you're in a good mood." He says, groaning.

"Where do you think would be the best place to go?" He asks.

"Probably Celadon." To the Department Store!

"You're lucky it isn't that far away…"

* * *

"Can't you go any faster?" I yell.

"Just a couple weeks ago you were yelling at me for going _too _fast. Now you want me to go faster?" He says in between pedaling. We're back on his bike (How he got it to Saffron I don't know) and I'm riding in the basket. Thinking of the fact that I'm small enough to fit in the basket is just weird.

"Well, I wanna make sure that Blue and your mom don't catch up to us! Knowing them, they've probably already found out where we're headed and are heading here on their own. With Blue's Jigglypuff, they'd probably be there before us." I shiver at the thought of them there already, waiting for us. What would they do…

"You're in luck. The city's just up ahead." Red pants.

"Oh goodie!" I lean over the basket, almost falling out. I don't know what's come over me, the giddiness. I've probably just gone through so many life-threatening experiences, I want to act my true self and not hide it away.

Red just shakes his head, smiling.

We make it to the city and are relieved when we see neither Blue nor Red's Mom waiting for us. We quickly make our way to the Department Store and try to get lost within the crowd, just in case they do show up.

"So, what should we buy first?" Red asks.

"How about we just make our way up the floors?" I still don't know exactly what floor contains what items, so I'm just as lost as he is.

We head up the stairs as the first floor is just the reception counter.

"The sign says the second floor is the 'Trainer's Market.' Wonder what they have?" Red says as we enter the shopping area. We walk up to the first set of shelves we see and see rows upon rows of discs.

"I'm guessing they're TMs?" Red asks.

"Probably. Let's see…" I take a look down the row for anything that seems interesting. Double Team… yeah. I always hate it when Pikachu are impossible to hit after spamming five or six of them. I pick it up and continue looking. Reflect… no. Razor Wind… none of my Pokémon can learn it… same with Horn Drill, Egg Bomb, Submission, and Take Down. I don't like Mega Punch or Mega Kick either. I take the Double Team to the counter and add it to the collection that Red has amassed as well, and we pay for the items.

"Look, Philippe! Another set of shelves!" Red runs off to the place he was talking about while I stay here. Red looks like a kid in a candy store… which, to him, anything Pokémon related is as good as candy.

After Red's done choosing what he wants, he comes back and pays for them, and we head to the third floor.

"Look! They have video games here!" In every department store I know, they have video games. Red runs off to one of the consoles and starts playing. He seems to be having more fun than I am… So I head off in his direction.

"Red, don't you think that we should continue shopping? There's still more floors to see!" I tell him.

"Aww… fine." He pauses the game he was playing (How did he get that far in a short amount of time?) and follows me. We make it to the fourth floor, and something I know that wasn't here before is. The fourth floor now has both gifts and clothes. I just then realized that I was still in the gown that the Pokémon Center had given me, and now realize why everyone was giving me strange looks as I walked past them. They must've thought I was a mental ward escapee. Hehe…

"I guess this would be a great time to get me some new clothes, don't you think?" I ask Red.

"Yeah! I don't know if I told you this, but the outfit you were in when we first met was bland. I think you should get something, I don't know, a bit more adventurish this time! Like mine!" Red spins around, showing off his outfit. I know, Red. I've worn it before.

I look through all of the outfits that they have and am immediately overwhelmed. I've actually never bought clothes myself before; I've had my mom do all my shopping for me.

I spend a couple of minutes looking around and my eyes land on a long sleeved shirt, buttons down the middle. Obviously in the color red. I also find a pair of black pants that look like they'd fit me perfectly. Oh, how long has it been since I've last been in the kid's section of anything? I pick up my choices and head over to the changing room, slipping out of the gown and into the clothes. I look at myself in the mirror and gape in awe. So _this _is what preppy looks like. Or, at least, I think it is. I step out of the changing room and head over towards Red.

"So, what do you think?" I ask him. He looks as if he's trying to stifle a laugh.

"You look like a complete nerd! Just add glasses and you're set!" He breaks into laughter at this point. I pout a little.

"So? It's comfy!" I still don't get how most of these people can wear short sleeved shirts all year round, including during the middle of winter.

"Whatever you say, Philippe. Whatever you say."

We continue walking around the fourth floor and pick out a couple gifts here and there, mainly cheap jewelry and dolls. Red got a lot of things for his mother. He's probably going to bribe her to stop pestering him so much. Watch it backfire.

We try to go to the fifth floor but a guard stops us. I look at the sign and read "Drugstore." What, are they actually worried that the cashiers would sell drugs to us?

"Looks like we've finished this store. How about we go check out the other places Celadon has?" Red suggests.

"Sure. Think they'd let us into the Game Corner?" I joke.

"With enough money, they'd probably let us into anywhere!" Red jokes back.

We climb down floor after floor until we hit the reception counter and exit the building. We wander around Celadon for a few minutes looking for the Game Corner, and once again are lucky to not run into Blue or Red's Mom. We find the building and surprisingly aren't stopped upon entry.

"You'd think they'd have better security here." I say to myself.

"Miss, could we have some coins?" Red asks the woman behind the counter.

"Sure, little guy. That'll be 1000." I don't think she thinks we have enough money, because as soon as Red pulls it out her eyes widen a little.

"Here you go." She says, still a little shocked.

"How do you play these things anyways?" Red asks me as we walk towards one of the slot machines.

"I think you just insert a coin and pull the lever." I do exactly that, and somehow I manage getting three Jigglypuff in a row, winning fifteen coins.

"That explains that. I wanna try!" I move out of the way as Red takes a turn.

Red's gone through twenty coins without winning anything before giving up.

"Gah! This is impossible! How were you able to win so easily?" He complains.

"I don't know. Luck?" That's exactly what it is. I'm normally extremely unlucky, but looks like today's not a normal day. I take three coins, slide them into the slot, and pull the lever once again. This time three BARs show up and one-hundred coins come out of the shoot.

"I'm not even going to ask." Red says.

We continue at this for the next couple of hours, and by the end we managed to earn 4,000 coins in total. Most was from my luck, but Red won some of his tries as well.

"Doesn't look like there are a lot of prizes…" Red complains. I have to admit, the amount of prizes are scarce. There's only TM23, TM15, and TM50. I guess they stopped giving away Pokémon as prizes when Team Rocket was kicked out of the city.

"Well, if there's nothing you like, how about I get something?" Red agrees and let me pick something. I choose TM23, Dragon Rage, mainly because I know that I'm going to hunt down a dragon at some point. I like my dragons.

* * *

"Well, that's that. What else is left to do?" Red asks as we exit the Game Corner.

"I have no idea-" I'm cut off as I'm tackled to the ground.

"Owwwwww!" I groan as the person shifts their weight as to not let me up.

"And just where do you think you're going?" The girl asks. I look up and see that it's the devil that I've been trying to avoid all this time: Blue.

"If you had been listening before you tackled me you would've said I have no idea as to where to go next." I explain.

"That's not what I meant! Why did you ditch the Pokémon Center? You were still in pain!" Blue caring for the wellbeing of others? That's a change.

"Over the course of the bike ride here, my legs recovered enough to support my weight. I've been feeling a twinge of pain here and there, but it was nothing I couldn't handle." I explain to her.

"Aww… you two _do _care for each other!" The other devil speaks.

"Moooooooooooooom…" Red whines.

"What? They're just being so mature about this whole thing! Even after Blue tackled him to the ground! Why can't you be more like that?" His mom scolds. I kind of tune their argument out after that.

"So, how are you two doing now?" Blue whispers into my ear.

"Why do you want to know so badly? You know that things haven't been moving in that direction. Also, he's 11 and I'm 10! And you're 11! Why do you want us in a relationship so badly?" I know why I want us in a relationship so badly, but why does she?

"I just know that you two would make the perfect couple! And I can't stand to stand by and watch something so obvious go by without either side noticing! At least you're noticing; Red's as in tuned with his feelings as a rock." Blue says.

"You're assuming that he likes me back." I sigh.

"Of course he does! You two are always together and he's always trying to protect you!" She squeals.

"That doesn't mean he necessarily likes me. We're best friends; of course he'd try to keep me safe." I explain.

"But would a best friend risk their life to save another?" She asks.

"Yes, yes they would." I drop the conversation there. Red and his mom are done arguing, and Blue decides that it's time to let me up. She gets off and we both stand up straight.

"You look so adorable in that outfit, Philippe!" Red's Mom squeals. Wow, a lot of squealing going on.

"Yeah… I don't think a hospital gown would've suited me very well." At least, not at this point in time.

"I like it." Blue comments. Looks like everyone but Red does.

"Now that we're all acquainted once again, how about we make our way to the Pokémon League together?" I suggest after a moment of silence.

"But I only have seven out of eight badges!" Red exclaims.

"But the Gym Leader of Viridian is never there. I don't think you'd be able to get the badge from there anytime soon." Red realizes that this is the truth and agrees that we should just make our way there and hope for an exception.

"Can I come too?" Red's Mom asks excitedly.

"You're his mother. It's up to you whether or not _he'll _be allowed to go. If you want to, then of course you can." I tell her.

"Yay!"


	29. Cerulean

Author's Note:

Nothing much to say besides the fact that I'm getting closer to finishing the first arc of the series! Which, really, is huge. I'm happy. Anyways, for this chapter, read, review, whatever. Normal stuff.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Pokémon. Nintendo does.

* * *

"I'm starting to think it was a bad idea to have invited your Mom, Red…"

"You don't say? Then why did you ask her?!"

Red's Mom has been asking us all sorts of questions about how we've been getting along since we first met, and Blue hasn't been helping either. They keep pestering us about what had happened in Silph Co., but neither of us say anything.

"Come on!" Blue butts in. "Why won't you tell us?"

"Because it's none of your business!" Red shouts back at her. This has Blue's mind assuming things it shouldn't be, and she leaves it at that.

"I think we've travelled enough for today. How about we stop here and get some training in before we go to bed?" Red suggests. We had been walking for most of the day, like we usually do, and have just made it to Route 5. We have to go all the way around Cerulean, Mt. Moon, Viridian, and then dreaded Victory Road… I'm not looking forward to that at all.

"Sure! How about a Double Battle between Delia and I and you and Philippe?" Blue suggests.

"You want to try?" Red asks.

"Sure." We get into place across from each other and take out our pokéballs. Red's Mom sends out Mr. Mime - Go figure - Blue sends out Clefable - Looks like he evolve - Red sends out Venusaur - Same thing - and I send out Haunter. Although, what I'm not expecting is for something other than Haunter to come out of the ball. Instead of being Haunter, it's Gengar that comes out.

"W-what?" I stammer in shock.

"Oops… looks like I forgot to tell you. During the battle against Sabrina, Haunter evolved into that. Pikachu and Cubone are the same, so don't worry about them." Red explains.

"_Now _you decide to tell me this?" I say, annoyed.

"Sorry…"

"Clefy, Metronome!" Blue gets right into the fight and Clefy ends up using Hyper Beam. Luckily for us, she was aiming towards Gengar so it had no effect.

"Gengar, Shadow Ball!" Gengar launches a glob of black energy towards Mr. Mime, but Delia has him throw up a Light Screen right before it hits. Red and I create an unspoken plan that I go after Mr. Mime and he goes after Clefy. Makes sense.

"Mr. Mime, Psybeam!" The beam hits Gengar directly in the stomach, but he shakes it off.

"Gengar, Hypnosis!" Mr. Mime's eyes start to droop right after Gengar wags his fingers but he remains awake.

"Psychic!" Both Gengar and I feel the attack and are brought to the ground. It feels as if needles are piercing through my very skin, but it subsides quickly. Gengar's not so lucky. He's still on the ground and vulnerable to either Clefy's or Mr. Mime's attacks.

"Gengar, get up!" Gengar starts to get to his feet but is knocked back to the ground by another Psybeam. This time Gengar's down and out.

"Gengar, return!" I say, wonder in my voice. I guess I now know where Red gets his expertise in Pokémon from.

Red seems to have taken care of Blue's Clefy and is now facing his mom.

"Venusaur, Vine Whip!" Vines shoot out from the ground and start to wrap themselves around Mr. Mime's feet, keeping him in place.

"Mr. Mime, Hypnosis!" Venusaur falls asleep instantly.

"Now, Dream Eater!" Can he even learn that? Nonetheless, it finishes Venusaur and Delia ends up being the winner.

"M-Mom…" Red says in amazement.

"Hm?" She responds.

"H-How…" He tries to continue.

"Oh, you mean my Pokémon! Yeah, I've been training him since way before you were born. He's my bestest friend!" She goes and hugs Mr. Mime.

"You never told me you could battle!" Red exclaims.

"You never asked if I could!" She has a point there.

Red's PokéDex begins beeping and we all become quiet. He opens it and a hologram of Professor Oak pops out.

"I never knew a PokéDex could do that." I mutter.

"Red, Philippe, it's good to see that you're alright. I know this is short notice, but could you two head over to Cerulean City? I heard that something strange is going on there and I want you two to check it out." He asks.

"Oh, can I go too?" Red's Mom squeals.

"Delia's there?" Oak questions.

"Yeah, and so am I!" Blue shouts over to Oak.

"Hehe… if only Green were there, the entire party would be! Of course you two can go with them! The more of you there are, the safer you'll be." Safer…?

"So, what's there Professor?" Red asks.

"If I knew I'd tell you. I want you to find out and report to me what it is, alright?" Oak clicks off after that.

"Well, that was… strange." I say to myself.

"Maybe it's a monster!" Delia says.

"A scary monster!" Blue screams.

"Maybe it'll be whatever we find it out to be." I say.

"Aw… killjoy." Delia groans.

"Let's just head over to Cerulean."

* * *

"What the…" We say in unison. We make it to the top of the hill overlooking Cerulean and can't believe our eyes. All that's laid out before us is destruction. Not the city, but all around it trees are burnt and fallen, the ground is scorched. No wildlife was left untouched.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe it _is _a monster." I say.

"I don't like the looks of this…" Delia says, serious for once.

"What do you think could have caused this destruction?" Red asks.

"That's what Oak wants us to find out." I take a step forward and the others follow.

We continue walking towards the city itself to find that no living person is out and about. Looks like they've all taken to their houses.

"Smart move…" Delia says to herself.

"Hey, Red, look over there." I point to a cave in the middle of the city. Funny how I never noticed it the last time I was here.

"Yeah, what about it?" He asks.

"Doesn't it look… odd?" The entrance of the cave looks to be… warped. Distorted.

"You're right. Let's go check it out!" Red runs over to the cave and sends out Gyarados. Which reminds me, we probably should give him back to Misty once we've finished checking out the monster.

We all hop on Gyarados and surf over to the entrance of the cave.

"Well, this is it. Let's hope we don't get ourselves killed." I say.

As we enter the cave it becomes more and more warped. The stalagmites and stalactites become more and more twisted, the puddles of water on the ground distort our faces.

"I guess we're getting closer." Yeah…

"Poliwrath, come out." Red sends out Poliwrath and we each send out a Pokémon in his footsteps. We have Poliwrath, Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and Mr. Mime sent out and ready to defend us if necessary.

We wait for something to happen, and it does. All of a sudden a whirlwind comes out of nowhere and threatens to pry us from the ground.

"W-what is this?" I scream.

"I don't know! Everyone… hang on!" We all grab onto each other, as well as our Pokémon. Amazingly the twister doesn't pull us from each other.

"Red, we have to get everyone inside of their pokéballs!" Delia shouts over the roar of the winds.

"But my pokéballs are missing!" I quickly scan my waist to see that mine are as well. The twister must've blown them away!

"Now what do we do?" One by one the Pokémon are absorbed by a red light and all of us are dumbfounded. Now that the Pokémon are gone, there's not enough weight to keep us from being blown away by the wind. I'm sent in one direction, Red another, and both Blue and Delia in a third.

We crash into the ground and I'm dazed for a bit. Red's able to get up fairly quickly and looks around for our Pokémon.

"B-Blaine!" Red shouts. I think I now know who saved our Pokémon.

"Just think of it as a thank you for saving my life back on Seafoam Island." He walks over and helps me get up.

"So, that thing… is it a monster?" Red asks as the twister begins to subside.

"Of some sorts." Blaine answers.

"We have to stop it then!" Red shouts.

"If you wish to help, then I'm fine with that. Just remember, this monster is like none other you've faced before." Of course it isn't. Why can't anything be simple?

"First off, I have to tell you that this 'Twister' isn't an ordinary twister. Watch this." Blaine sends out Rapidash and has her use Fire Spin, only to have the attack be sent right back at us.

"Ow!" Red shrieks as a flame hits his shirt.

"You see, that's not a twister. No, it's more of a reflective barrier. Whenever an attack is sent towards it, it's sent right back out." Blaine explains.

"Then how can we beat the monster?" Red asks.

"By going in through the top. It's completely protected on all sides but from above." Blaine hops on Rapidash and pulls Red and I up.

"I'm sorry you two, but there's only room for three people." Blaine says to Blue and Delia.

"That's fine. We'll wait for the barrier to subside, then we'll join you." Delia says.

Rapidash bounces up and over the barrier and begins falling down the very center.

"Is that it?" Red asks, pointing towards a black shadow in the center of the barrier.

"Yes it is… Mewtwo!" I should've known. We _are_ in Cerulean Cave after all.

"That's…!" Red begins.

"Yes, it's the Pokémon we saw in the tube at the Rocket Game Corner." I finish for him.

As Rapidash falls closer and closer to Mewtwo, the barrier begins spinning faster and faster around us, making everything even more distorted than it was before. When we get close enough to Mewtwo that we can almost reach him, he teleports and everything just stops. The barrier disappears, the distortions disappear, everything.

"What happened…?" I ask.

"Mewtwo waited until we were close, then teleported. He wanted to see if we were daring enough to attempt to stop him." Blaine explains. He suddenly clutches his arm in pain.

"Blaine!" I feel sudden worry for him.

"Your arm!" Red shouts. Way to state the obvious.

"Red… Philippe… this is why Mewtwo must be beaten here and now. You see… you know how I was a major part in the creation of Mewtwo, correct? I created Mewtwo from the cells of Mew." That's not the story I heard.

"Since we had so few cells of Mew, mainly because of a certain girl…" Blue blushes a little at this mention of her.

"I had to substitute other living cells instead. I used my own. Because of that, some of Mewtwo's cells were able to sneak their way into my body, thus binding our fates. If Mewtwo is able to remain out of control, then the cells within my body will do the same. If that happens I'll surely die." Blaine finishes.

"We can't let that happen!" Red exclaims.

"No, we can't. However, it's not just for me living that we should try to stop Mewtwo. You see, there is one good thing that comes from sharing his cells. Because I have part of him within me, I'm able to track him down wherever he goes. I'm a living Mewtwo-Locator. That also means he's able to track my every move as well." Blaine finishes his explanation.

"Let's go then! We can't afford to be wasting any more time!" Red shouts.

"I'm sorry, Red, Philippe…" Blaine sighs. Rapidash then bucks and throws us both off.

"I can't drag you into this. It isn't your battle… it's mine and mine alone." Rapidash sends a fireball our way, it enveloping us in a red glow.

"To protect you from what's about to happen." He solemnly looks towards the spot where Mewtwo disappeared.

"Blaine, what's going on? Why can't we go with you?" Red shouts angrily.

"This isn't another one of your games. This is serious." Blaine says sternly.

"What, and stopping Team Rocket from taking over Saffron City, as well the three Legendary Birds isn't?" I shout back at him. Red just looks over at me.

"If Mewtwo isn't stopped here and now, who knows how many more cities will be destroyed! Just look at Cerulean!" Blaine argues.

"Yes, I know what Mewtwo did to Cerulean. I'm not saying that I don't know what'll happen. I do. I'm just saying, don't treat us like kids. You don't know what we've been through since we last saw each other." I say coldly. I don't like being treated like a kid who knows nothing.

"So. You've matured since I our last meeting. I guess I can't call you a kid anymore, like you said. However, this is _my _fight, and I'm not letting you two be put in danger because of it." Mewtwo reappears behind Blaine as soon as he finishes, almost as if he was waiting for that exact moment.

"I guess this is goodbye…" Mewtwo re-creates the barrier and Blaine has Rapidash hop back up over it. I wonder why Mewtwo took so long in doing so…

"Blaine, what do you mean 'goodbye?' You aren't leaving us!" Red shouts, tears beginning to form.

"I'm sorry, but I have to do this. The only way to break through the barrier, the only way to stop Mewtwo, is by sending an equal amount of energy that is required to create the barrier into the barrier itself. Into the very heart of the barrier. The only way to stop Mewtwo is by using my own body."

Looks like it never changes. Protagonists and antagonists telling their plans right before executing them, and the other party giving them enough time to do so. Although, I know that Mewtwo isn't really evil… just, crazed.

Blaine has Rapidash descend into the barrier, towards Mewtwo, and she rapidly picks up speed.

"Blaine, you don't have to do this! There has to be another way!" Red shouts, tears now freely falling.

"There's no other way…" I hear Blaine faintly speak.

As soon as Blaine's body collides with Mewtwo's, there's a huge flash of light and an enormous amount of energy is released, blowing us both backwards. I don't see any sign of Blue and Delia. I hope they left when they realized this was going to take longer than a few minutes…

When I snap out of my daze I look upwards, only to see that the entire cave itself has been blown to bits. There's no cave roof, no cave wall, we're just in the open.

"Philippe…" Red starts. He can't continue speaking.

"Red… it's going to be fine. If you know Blaine… which I know you do, you know that he's fine. There's no way… that he'd let a little blast like this put an end to him." I'm partly saying this to reassure myself.

"Blaine!" Red completely ignores what I said and goes running to what looks to be a body lying a few feet away. I follow him and am shocked to see that Blaine really is alright, although beat up.

"Red, Philippe… What about Mewtwo?" He asks.

"He's gone, Blaine. Mewtwo's gone." Red whispers.

"Good." He simply puts.

"Why did you do that? Why did you have to risk your life? There had to be another way!" Red shouts, back to his old self.

"There _wasn't _another way. That's why I risked my life." Blaine starts to get up and something falls from his pockets.

"What's that?" Red asks.

"Oh, this? Look at it, Red. I know you know what it is." Blaine picks it back up and shows it to both Red and I. I immediately recognize the ball, with its M symbol.

"It's a Master Ball! Blaine, if you had that, why did you have to risk your life? I told you there must've been another way!" Red continues shouting while I think of other things. Seeing the Master Ball reminded me of the ball that Mew gave me. I can't believe I forgot about it again! Although, a lot has been happening these past couple of days. You can't really blame me for forgetting.

"…That's why there wasn't another way. Mewtwo would've blasted us before we even got close enough to capture him." Blaine finishes.

"Red, you haven't changed. Even though you've matured, you're still the kind-hearted young man I saw back at the headquarters." Blaine sighs.

"You know we were there? At the headquarters?" Red asks, amazed.

"Of course I did! Wherever Mewtwo was, I was. At that time, Mewtwo was still being constructed, so they had me follow him everywhere to make sure nothing went wrong." He explains.

"Red, back then, I was with Team Rocket. I had joined them with no doubts, no regrets in my mind. I was curious as to what they had to offer, and was curious as to what they'd have me do. I didn't care that I was hurting Eevee when they had me experiment on him, making it so we could force him to evolve at any time. I didn't care that I was hurting Mewtwo by creating him from a few mere cells."

"You were different. Both you and Philippe. When you found out that Mew was being chased, both of you wanted to help her. When you two found Mew about to be hurt by Jynx, Red stopped it. After we had altered Gyarados, he went into a rampage. You, Red, were able to calm him down and get him to trust humans again." Blaine says, it being his turn to tear up.

"Red, when I saw you and Philippe, the bonds you had with your Pokémon, the bonds you had with _other _Pokémon… it made me feel ashamed of myself. I didn't care what I had to do to get what I want, to gain more knowledge. I didn't care who I was hurting to get it. You made me realize the error in my ways. And now, I've corrected my mistake." Blaine finishes, the adrenaline wearing off. He slumps back to the ground and begins to close his eyes.

"Blaine, come on! You can't leave us! Not now!" Red sobs.

I'm about to rest my hand on his shoulder when I'm hit on the back of the head. Both Red and I turn around to come face to face with Mewtwo once more.

"He's still alive?!" Red exclaims. After the explosion, I seriously thought he was down for good.

"Red, we can't waste any time wondering. We have to act quickly!" I say, trying to run out of Mewtwo's sight.

"Alright! Go, Poliwrath!" Red sends out Poliwrath and I send out Pikachu.

Mewtwo completely ignores us and clasps both hands together. He slowly brings them apart, an object forming where they once were. A giant spoon.

"A… spoon? Why a spoon?" Red asks.

"Red, if you don't know, a spoon is a Psychic's tool. It's also their greatest weapon!" To prove my point, Mewtwo swings it towards Poliwrath and knocks him back.

"Poliwrath!" Mewtwo shifts his attention towards us and starts throwing blasts of energy with the spoon. Red and I dodge blast after blast, almost being hit quite a few times.

"Don't you see? This is why I tried sacrificing myself!" Blaine shouts weakly as he comes back to consciousness.

"There's no way you can weaken it! There's no way you can capture it!" His adrenaline must be kicking back into gear.

"In that case…" Red takes all the pokéballs from his belt and throws them into the air, sending out each and every one of his Pokémon. I do the same.

"Everyone, attack with everything you've got!" Red shouts to them.

"You three too!" I say to my own Pokémon.

"You two are crazy! If you attack him with multiple Pokémon, he's just going to create the tornado again! Look!" Mewtwo begins spinning the spoon in an arc overhead and the winds pick up once more. Red grabs onto my hand out of nowhere and lifts me up.

"What's going on?!" I shout, not knowing. I take a look around after I calm down a little and see that I'm now in mid-air. Red decided that it'd be a great idea to have Aerodactly carry us over Mewtwo while he was creating the tornado without telling me first.

"Philippe, you'll know what to do." Red hands me the Master Ball he had taken from Blaine and lets go of Aerodactly, screaming.

"Yaaaahhhhhh!" He hurtles towards Mewtwo, shouting at the top of his lungs. Aerodactyl flies past Mewtwo and ends up behind him. While Mewtwo's preoccupied with Red falling straight for him, I take it Red wanted me to throw the pokéball. I do just that, and before Mewtwo can realize what's happened he's trapped inside of the ball.

"W-what…?" Blaine says as Aerodactly lowers me to the ground. Red lands with a loud thump on the hard rocky ground, feet hitting first. He tumbles a bit but rights himself soon enough.

"Red… What did I say about doing something like that?" I say as Aerodactyl touches down, my voice teeming with anger.

"Hehe… sorry. I couldn't think of anything else to do! It was a split second decision!" He tries to defend himself. I stare at him open-mouthed, then give up.

"Please… don't do that again." I sigh. He knows I'm tired of this, so he promises that he won't do it again. I don't believe him.

"What did you two do?" Blaine asks, walking towards us. Looks like he was able to get up on his feet while we were battling Mewtwo.

"I thought that since we couldn't catch Mewtwo head on, we might be able to do it with a bit of a distraction! I knew Philippe would be able to catch on quickly, so I gave him the ball to throw. I guess that makes Mewtwo his now!" I stare at him blankly. Does he honestly think that I'd keep one of the most powerful Pokémon in the world to myself?

…Of course I would! If only to hand him back to Mew the next time I see her.

"I guess that's true… Philippe, seeing you and Red handle that situation, as well as the others I've seen you get yourselves out of… I know that Mewtwo would be in good hands. I think being away from me would also give my arm some time to heal… it acts up more when Mewtwo's around." I can't believe what I'm hearing. But… I'm forced to as I hold Mewtwo's pokéball in my hands.

"Philippe, Red… goodluck. To the both of you. I know you'll make it far in the Indigo Plateau, Red. I'd love to say that I personally know the Champion!" Blaine laughs. I think since Mewtwo's now calmed down, the pain from the blast is subsiding in both of them. I only hope that now there's no more surprises. I don't like surprises.


	30. Viridian Gym P1

Author's Note:

I've decided to not combine these chapters and just put them in as different parts. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next part in a couple days instead of a week.

Disclaimer:

I don't own Pokémon. Nintendo does.

* * *

"Let's go!"

"Why are you so excited all of a sudden?"

"I've never been to a league, duh. And it's not 'all of a sudden!'"

Red and I have been walking for hours on end, trekking through Mt. Moon. It's felt like forever since we were last here, while in reality it's only been a few months.

"Well it's the first time you show it!" That's true…

"I only hope that you'll be able to win…" Without Pikachu, I seriously doubt that he'll have an easy win. It wasn't easy even _with _Pikachu.

"Are you doubting my abilities?" Red asks in mock shock.

"Why yes, yes I am. You know, I bet _Green _will be there too." He scowls at the mention of his rival.

"Which is exactly why I won't be losing! Especially not to the likes of him!" He vows.

"Come to think of it… Blue will probably be there as well. Stealing badges _is _her specialty, after all." I nudge his shoulders as he blushes.

"It's not my fault! She's trained at thievery!" He tries to defend himself.

"Doesn't matter. With her newly evolved Pokémon, she'll be a tough opponent." I suddenly remember something.

"Speaking of Blue… What do you think happened to her and your mom?" I ask.

"Knowing both of them, they probably snuck away when things got rough so they wouldn't have to fight. Although, seeing my Mom… She could probably beat Mewtwo by herself!" Red exclaims.

"Yeah… I never knew that she had a Mr. Mime that powerful." She's starting to become more and more like Ash's mom every time I see her. Besides her older-sisterness. And her obsession for Red and I.

"Neither did I. She never told me that she had any Pokémon, period!" Red never knew either? Weird.

"Anyways, I'm sort of glad that they aren't here right now. Your mom is… weird. There, I said it. She's completely freaky!" I tell him.

"You're right about that. I wonder why I didn't inherit any of it?"

"Well…" I tease. He pouts a little and we're quiet for the rest of the way

* * *

"Back in Pewter City… the place where you earned your first Gym Badge. Now you have all required to get into the league!" I exclaim as we walk into the Pokémon Center.

"I know!" He says with excitement.

We hand our Pokémon to one of the Joys there and sit down.

"How much longer do you think it'll take to get to the League?" He asks.

"Considering we have to make it all the way through Victory Road… A very, very, very long time." I sigh.

"What's Victory Road like?" He asks.

"I've never been there; how would I know? All I _do _know is that there's thousands upon thousands of Zubat there." Must. Stock. Repels.

"More of them?" He groans.

"Yes, more of them."

Our Pokémon are healed by now and we pick them up. I still marvel at the wonders of the Pokémon Center, the nurses, as well as all the machinery here. However, what amazes me the most is their generosity at allowing us to stay at a Center whenever we need a place to stay. Which is extremely often.

"Hey, Philippe, Red!" I hear as we walk outside.

"Brock!" Red runs up to him. I follow.

"So, what's been going on with you two lately? I haven't seen you since the battle at Saffron!" He exclaims.

"What?" I say, puzzled.

"Oh, right… You were unconscious. While we were fighting Sabrina in the tower, Brock, Misty, and Erika were all outside fighting the Rocket members that were in the city. If it weren't for them, we probably would've been overrun by the regular troops after we had taken care of Sabrina." He explains.

"And you just so thought to tell this to me now?" I say, annoyed.

"Sorry." He blushes.

"Don't blame yourself for forgetting, Red. A lot happened. You beating Sabrina, taking Philippe to the Center, then I heard about what happened at Cerulean from Misty. She had been watching the entire thing from afar." Brock tells us.

"Misty saw all of that?" I ask.

"Yeah. She saw every single thing. She wanted me to tell you how much you two have grown from the last time she saw you. She knew you'd be headed this way, for the Pokémon League." He explains.

"Oh! Brock, do you know anything about Victory Road?" Red questions.

"I haven't been there personally, but from what I've heard it's a series of trials and obstacles that test your ability as a trainer to be able to overcome them. It's not as difficult as beating a Gym Leader, but it tests your knowledge and problem solving skills." Brock tells us.

"Philippe, I'm leaving that to you." Gee, thanks.

"I only hope that I will be able to live up to the League's standards and not get us hopelessly lost." I say.

"I hope so too." Red jokes.

"What? You think I can't get us through Victory Road?" I say, faking being hurt.

"Of course you can." He says sarcastically.

"I think I'll excuse myself now." Brock says goodbye and heads for his Gym leaving Red and I alone once again.

"So, now that we're all set, from here we should head south to Viridian." I say, wanting to get back on track.

"Alright!"

* * *

"We're lost."

"No we aren't!"

"We're hopelessly, hopelessly lost."

"I said we aren't! We're just taking longer than I expected to get through…"

Red says that we're lost; I disagree completely. I've followed the map's instructions to the nose, and it looks like we're going the right way. We just haven't made it there yet!

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" A voice cries.

"Who's that?" Red asks, looking around.

"Oh, I don't know. Probably someone over yonder." I point in the direction of the voice.

"Philippe, did you seriously just say 'yonder?'" He asks.

"Why yes, yes I did." We run in the direction of the scream and this time, it's my turn to scream. What I see in front of us is the one person I can't stand more than anyone else. The one person I actually hate and despise. The one person who I want dead. And she's 9.

"Philippe, we have to help that girl!" Red shouts.

"Nah, I don't feel like it." I take a seat and send out Pikachu, combing his fur.

"What?! Are you seriously just going to sit there?" He yells at me, shocked.

"Mhm." I continue brushing his fur and pretend to ignore Red completely. He gives up and sends out Venusaur and battles the Dratini attacking the girl. A couple seconds later and the dragon's down.

"Oh, thank you so much!" The girl says, bowing to Red.

"It was nothing, really!" That's Red, always being humble.

"Is that Pokémon yours?" Oh, no. He just carries the ball around. There's no way that Venusaur could possibly be his!

"Yeah! Venusaur may look mean and nasty, but deep down he has a pure heart!" There he goes, praising his Pokémon again.

"I wish I had a friend like that…" I don't.

"You mean you don't have a Pokémon of your own?" Red acts like he did when he first met me, finding out I didn't own a Pokémon.

"No…" Red gasps.

"Here, take this one for a second." He hands her Poliwrath's pokéball and instructs her on how to fight.

"First, you just throw the pokéball at the Pokémon you want to fight. Try doing so on that Rattata over there." She does what she's told and Poliwrath's out and ready to fight.

"Now, try having Poliwrath use an attack. For now, just use Dynamic Punch." He instructs.

"A-alright… Poliwrath, Dynamic Punch!" Poliwrath runs up to the Rattata and gives it one punch. It faints immediately afterwards. How leveled is Poliwrath anyways?

"Alright. Now, take an empty pokéball and throw it at the Pokémon." He hands her an Ultra Ball and she throws it at the Rattata. The ball shakes for a couple seconds, then grows still.

"There you go! Now you have your very own Pokémon! Just remember, now that it's yours it's your responsibility. You have to take care of it and treat it as if it were the most important thing in your life." Red tells her. She sends out her new Pokémon and it climbs up her leg, then arm.

"Also, remember. If you decide to catch more Pokémon, it doesn't matter how large it is. Even if it were as large as these trees, it can fit inside of the pokéball. Just look at Snorlax!" He sends him out and the girl screams. Good.

"I-it's huge!" You don't say?

"Yeah. His name's Snorlax. He's another one of my Pokémon!" Red exclaims.

"You have more than one?" Oh no…

"Yep! You wanna see them all?" Here we go again…

"Sure!"

Now that Red's showing off all his Pokémon, I'm able to sneak away. I trace our footsteps back to where Red saved the girl from the Dratini and luckily it's still there. I send out a pokéball and catch it. Why didn't Red do that earlier? A Dratini's extremely rare, or does he not know that? Anyways, I now have my fourth Pokémon of Kanto, and I didn't even need to fight it! I go back to Red and see that he's done showing off.

"So many Pokémon…" The girl says in wonder.

"Yeah! Now-" Red stops abruptly as a Golem comes rolling towards him. I didn't think Golem could be found here…

"Watch out!" He grabs the girl's arm and pulls her aside, narrowly missing the Golem's attack. Why am I so unlucky today?

"That was a close one… Why are the Pokémon so violent all of a sudden?" It was one Pokémon, Red. You can't assume that _all _Pokémon here are violent because of it.

Another Pokémon, this time a Weezing, comes out from behind the trees and begins shooting out poisonous gases towards us. We duck underneath the cloud and I crawl towards Red.

"What's going on? Why are there so many Pokémon attacking us?" I ask as more and more show up.

"I have no idea! We have to get out of here!" Red sends out Aerodactyl and I grab onto a leg, Red grabbing onto the other while holding the girl in his other hand. Bitch.

"Why are all those Pokémon attacking us?" The girl asks, shaking.

"I don't know… They normally aren't this violent. Philippe, do you have any ideas?" He turns and asks me.

"Might be someone purposefully aggravating the Pokémon. I have no idea." I answer.

"But who'd do something like that?" The girl asks, shocked.

"Team Rocket? We don't know if we took out all of their members back at Saffron, Red." I say.

"You're right… I only hope that they aren't strong enough to rebuild themselves" Which, of course, they will.

"Let's just head for Viridian. That's where we were headed anyways. We can drop you off while we're there." I say to the girl, my voice laced with malice.

"Alright…" She says softly.

* * *

We land in Viridian City and are immediately surrounded by a crowd of people.

"What were you thinking?! We told you not to go out there! It's too dangerous!" An older man scolds the girl.

"What do you mean, 'dangerous?'" Red asks. Oh, I don't know, maybe the Pokémon that were trying to kill us?

"As of late, the Pokémon in the forest have been acting much more aggressively than normal. We have no idea why!" The man confirms my sarcasm.

"I don't either…" Red says to himself.

"Oohh… what's that?" The girl asks, pointing to the PokéDex that had slipped out of Red's pocket.

"This? It's a PokéDex! It was given to me by Professor Oak to fill with-" Red stops and his face turns a pale white.

"You've been forgetting to add data to the PokéDex, haven't you Red?" I ask. He slowly nods his head.

"You see, this is why I took it from the beginning. So you wouldn't have to remember to do it yourself. Which you obviously haven't been able to do." I scold.

"Philippe, why are you acting so mean all of a sudden? You normally never behave this way!" He says.

"Stress? I don't know." I actually do know, but don't want to tell him. It's all that girl's fault…

"Wait… did you say Professor Oak? As in, _the _Professor Oak from Pallet Town?!" The man interrupts.

"Yeah! My name's Red and I'm from Pallet Town! I'm on my way to the Pokémon League!" There he goes, stating his name and address to complete strangers again.

"You're the one who saved Saffron from all those Team Rocket people!" He exclaims.

"Hey, I helped!" I say.

"Who are you?" Oh. My. God. He did _not _just say that.

"I'm Philippe! I've been traveling with Red since the start of his journey!" I exclaim.

"Never heard of you." And he goes back to fawning over Red.

"So, the last time I was here the Gym Leader was out. Is he back yet?" Red asks, changing the subject.

"No, sorry. He's still nowhere to be seen!" Figures.

"No one even knows his name." Another person chimes in.

"Uh… Where's the Gym, anyways?" Red, you idiot.

"It's right across the river." As soon as he tells him that, Red sends out Gyarados and mounts.

"Philippe, let's go!" Gladly. Anywhere that's as far away as possible from that girl. I follow him to Gyarados but the girl follows me.

"Oh, and you. Listen. You shouldn't be scared of Pokémon. Not all Pokémon are bad! If a trainer is bad then so are their Pokémon. If you treat them with kindness and respect they'll do the same to you. Treat them right and they'll be your best friends for life." Red tells her.

"Alright!" She chimes.

"Now, let's get going!" We both hop onto Gyarados as he takes us across the water.

"That boy was nice." …I just died then and there. I had completely forgotten that Red thinks that she's a guy at first! Still doesn't make me hate her any less.

I'm forgetting a lot of things that happen… I guess that's what happens when you spend close to half a year in a world you've never been to before, almost being killed several times.

When we get across the water Gyarados drops us off and Red returns him to his pokéball. We walk around to the gym and try the door. Locked. Typical.

"Well, they said they had no idea where the Gym Leader was. Did you really expect them to just leave the door open for anyone to enter?" I ask.

"Not really… I guess we'll just have to find another way in!" Red sends out Venusaur and has him use Vine Whip.

"Just gonna check the windows real quick." I try to stop him but he doesn't listen!

"Red, this would be what people call 'Breaking and Entering.' With Professor Oak it was fine; he had his door open. But this, no!" I shout.

"Oh, don't worry Philippe! If he hasn't been here in the past several months what're the odds of him showing up now?" Close to one with how my luck's been going so far.

"Just get down from there!" I continue to shout.

"Fine, fine… The window's locked anyways." Venusaur lowers him down once more and he tries to think of another way in.

"We aren't going to try to get in, Red! Let's just wait for a bit and see if he shows up. Anyways, what would you even do when you got in there?" I'm curious as to what his answer will be.

"I… never really thought of that." Wow. Just… wow.

"Then why even try to get in there in the first place?!" I scream.

"Why are you angry all of a sudden?" He asks, now a little worried at the chance in attitude.

"I just don't want you getting in trouble, Red." I admit.

"Fine… So, Pokémon Center?" He sighs. Wow… that was much easier than I thought it'd be.

"Um… sure."

* * *

"I'm sorry for yelling at you back there. I just don't want you getting in trouble for a thing so stupid as that. I don't want you getting in trouble at all, really." I explain.

"It's ok. I know I was acting stupid back there. I act before I think." He sighs once more.

"It's not really your fault, Red. It's just how you are. And I like you how you are." He gives a little blush at the compliment.

"T-thanks…" We're silent for the next few minutes while waiting for our Pokémon to finish being healed.

"Your Pokémon are ready." A Nurse eventually calls us. Red and I walk up to her, take our Pokémon, and head out the door.

"Do you want to try the gym again?" Red asks.

"It's only been half an hour. Odds of the leader arriving in half an hour are extremely slim." I say.

"It's alright. There's not much we can do besides that, really. I don't want to head to the League with only seven badges and find out that they won't let me compete!" He cries in frustration.

"I'd hate for that to happen, too. To go through Victory Road for nothing…" I overdramatize by shivering.

We make it to the gym and to our surprise the doors are open.

"Well would you look at that…" I haven't forgotten about Giovanni being inside, but… I didn't think that he'd leave the door purposefully open.

"Looks like the leader's back! Alright!" Red runs through the open doors and I follow.

"Red, wait up!" I call after him.

I follow his footsteps and eventually make it to the large arena in the heart of the gym.

"So, this is the final gym, huh?" I say in amazement.

"Yeah, I guess it is…" He says with the same amazement in his voice.

We both hear a noise coming from one corner of the room and turn our heads quickly. We find out that it's only a piece of a statue crumbling to the ground… We walk up to the statue and examine it.

"Who do you think it's of?" Red asks. I examine the statue even closer and gasp when I realize that it's of Giovanni himself. But, why does this surprise me?

"Philippe, doesn't this statue look familiar to you?" Red snaps me out of my daze.

"Yeah, it does…" We continue staring at the statue for a little while longer until another noise snaps us out of it.

"Philippe, did you hear something else?" Red asks.

"Sounds like it came from over there." I point towards an opening on the other side of the room. A lot of noises lately.

"What, a little noise like that scare you?" A man's voice comes from the opening.

"Nothing scares me!" Red shouts back.

"Hehehe… Nothing's changed about your personality, Red. Always trying to be macho. Who do you think you're trying to impress?" The voice continues.

"H-how do you know my name?" Red shouts, his voice quivering a little.

"So, now you're scared. I don't know why. You're more experience than when I last saw you. So naïve back then… you're much more experienced now. So are you, Philippe. Both of you are much stronger." I'm not sure if that was supposed to be a compliment or not, coming from him…

"You still haven't my question! How do you know my name?" Red re-iterates.

"You're the one who told me it, Red. Back at Diglett's cave, remember?" Red tries to remember, then a look of horror passes over his face.

"Y-you're…!" Looks like Red's finally figured out who it is. The man steps out of the shadows and confirms Red's suspicions.

"The fossil guy!" Red finishes.

"You mean Giovanni, Red." I correct him.

"So, even you've heard of me, Philippe? Looks like I'm more well-known than I thought if a kid knows my name… Yes, I am Giovanni, Gym Leader of Viridian City." He introduces himself properly this time.

"No, no you're not." I begin. I don't know why I'm telling him I know who he really is, but… I don't really care right now.

"Hm? That statue is of me, and I even have proof that I'm the Gym Leader. How can you doubt my words?" He questions.

"Well, you really are the Gym Leader of Viridian, but that's not just what you are. You're much more than that, right?" I give him an opportunity to speak. He just smirks.

"You're… Giovanni, Team Rocket's Leader, am I correct?"


	31. Viridian Gym P2

Author's Note:

Here's the second half! Really hope that it won't disappoint. Anyways, no reviews makes me feel like I'm not doing anything wrong, so if there are any mistakes I'll continue doing them. So... reviews, please?

Disclaimer:

I do not own Pokémon nor will I ever. Nintendo does.

* * *

"How does a kid like you know who I am?" Giovanni asks, his smirk lessening. I really shouldn't have said that…

"Weren't you just smirking a couple of seconds ago when I gave a hint as to knowing who you were?" I say, trying to lower my suspicion.

"I was smirking because I was thinking of what answers you could say. Now, answer my question." Looks like it didn't work.

"You're the leader of Team Rocket. You're famous!" I exclaim.

"Infamous, you mean. And no, I'm not. I've taken precautions to make sure no one found out my true identity. How did you?" He's still on about that…

"A friend gave me the information." Well, it's true.

"And which friend would that be?" He asks, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Not gonna say." I smart mouth him.

"Oh, so, it's like that, is it?" He says, getting ready to send out a Pokémon.

"Philippe, why did you choose _now _of all times to get an attitude?" Red shouts.

"I don't really like this guy, do you?" I tell him, getting ready to send out one of my own.

Giovanni sends out his Pokémon without saying anything, and out pops a Cloyster.

"Pikachu, I choose you!" I feel nostalgia wash over me as I say that line.

"Type matchups aren't everything, you know. Cloyster, Aurora Beam!" I try to have Pikachu dodge it but the beam fires too quickly. Pikachu becomes frozen upon contact.

"Not so confident now, are we?" Giovanni taunts. Giovanni turns around after hearing something I can't and tries to get Cloyster to move, however he's too late.

"Yes!" Red exclaims. Looks like he snuck around behind Giovanni and had Poliwrath do a sneak attack. I knew he wouldn't let me fight Giovanni alone!

"Not bad… a DynamicPunch while I was busy. But how about this!" Giovanni has Cloyster use a Rapid Spin and knocks Poliwrath across the gym floor.

By this time Pikachu's defrosted and ready to fight again.

"Pikachu, Thunder!" Pikachu sends a great bolt of electricity towards Cloyster, but Giovanni has anticipated another attack and has Cloyster withdraw into its shell, rendering the attack useless.

"You actually think that you'll be able to win? Ha! Not just moves and power determine a battle, but also skill and speed!" He scolds us.

"Philippe… Red… you two are excellent trainers, I must admit. But there's no chance in hell that you'll ever defeat me. It's such a shame, really. If you two were on _my _side there'd be so much you could accomplish!" Giovanni shouts.

"That's what they all say. No, literally. That's what they all say!" I shout back.

"Then why don't you join me? Together, we could do great things!" He offers.

"Hm… nah. It's too much fun being with Red. And if he doesn't want to join you, then I don't either. Isn't that right?" Red nods his head, amazed.

"Why the look on your face?" I shout over to him.

"I just… can't believe the change in attitude you had from a little while ago!" He shouts back to me.

"Hey! Have either of you forgotten who I am?!" Giovanni shouts over us.

"Nah, you're just not worth my time." I giggle. No idea why I'm doing this. It's just… for some reason, watching Giovanni get mad makes me happy.

"That's it…" He sends out Nidoking this time while still having Cloyster out and has them both attack.

"Fissure!" Nidoking punches the ground and rocks go flying everywhere, along with Red and I. We're thrown into the sky and crash into the ground. Same thing goes with our Pokémon.

"Not so high and mighty now, are we?" Giovanni laughs.

"Pikachu, you OK?" I ask him weakly. Pikachu gives a soft squeak and I know that he's had enough. I return him to his pokéball and send out Gengar next. Red and Poliwrath are still doing fine and they've both recovered from the knockdown.

"Poliwrath, Hydro Pump!" A giant torrent of water blasts away Nidoking and slams him into the wall.

"Gengar, use Thunder!" Gengar puts his hands together, then slowly pulls them apart as an orb of electricity forms between them. Gengar then quickly slaps his hands together and the orb is shot up through the cracks in his… fingers? As a thin stream flies out hitting Cloyster directly. Looks like Giovanni didn't predict that, now did he?

"Grr… Cloyster, return!" He sends out Nidoqueen this time.

"I bet you didn't know that when Nidoking and Nidoqueen are both fighting together, their powers are doubled!" Thanks for the info.

"Poliwrath, another Hydro Pump!" This one blasts itself into Nidoqueen, knocking her into the same wall that Nidoking was against just a few moments earlier.

"Nidoking! Nidoqueen! Fissure!" Both king and queen slam their fists into the ground, creating an even larger shockwave than before. Gengar anticipates the attack and grabs onto my hand, turning me invisible as well as him. We both avoid the attack. However, Red and Poliwrath aren't so lucky. Poliwrath is knocked out and Red's knocked down.

"One by one they all fall down…" Giovanni quotes.

"Go! Venusaur!" Red throws his pokéball and Venusaur pops out. However Red's not quick enough to give Venusaur a command before Nidoking launches a Flamethrower in his direction. The flames hit Venusaur's flower directly and begin spreading over his body.

"V-Venusaur! Try to absorb the flames!" Red's panicking because I can tell he's not thinking logically. Gengar floats over to Venusaur and tries to help put the flames out, but it's no use. The two Nidos continue to Fissure and knock Venusaur and Gengar out. Venusaur's completely scorched by the times the flames die out.

"Philippe, this is no use! Let's just give up while we can!" Red shouts over.

"Yes, listen to the boy!" Giovanni laughs. I ignore both of them and return Gengar, sending out Cubone. I know that he's had little battling experience, but I have no other choice!

"Cubone, Bonemarang!" Cubone obeys and throws his bone towards the two Nidos, it hitting both in the head. Nidoking's knocked out due to the heavy injuries it sustained from our previous Pokémon, while Nidoqueen's still standing strong.

"Oh jeez… Return!" Red returns Venusaur and sends out Aerodactyl.

"Aerodactyl, Rock Throw!" Aerodactyl flies around and grabs a rock while Giovanni's returning and sending out his next Pokémon which just so happens to be Rhydon.

"Aerodactyl, drop the rocks on Rhydon!" Aerodactyl does just that and they smash upon impact. Rhydon's a bit dazed from being hit just after being released from his ball but he soon recovers.

"Cubone, Headbutt!" Cubone runs up to Nidoqueen and Headbutts her, but due to the size different it does minimal damage. Nidoqueen just picks him up and punches him with her other hand, him flying across the room.

"Cubone!" I return him to his pokéball and dread what's next. My last Pokémon is Dratini and I only caught her a few hours ago!

"Go, Dratini!" I send out the miniature dragon and hope that she'll listen to me.

"Dratini, Dragon Rage!" Dratini sends a shock wave towards Rhydon's direction and it hits him dead on. He stumbles backwards but rights himself although, having more difficulty than before.

"Rhydon, Earthquake!" Dratini begins slithering across the floor, trying to avoid the cracks appearing in the ground, on top of the ones created earlier from the multiple fissures. Red's Aerodactyl has nothing to worry about, it being a flying type, so it continues to pound on Nidoqueen until she faints from head injuries. Giovanni switches out for Golem.

"Golem, charge!" Golem begins running at both Red and I, its arms flailing about wildly, and we duck out of the way. Golem runs right passed us but then turns around and comes charging again. Aerodactyl swoops down and tries to throw another rock onto Golem but instead is interrupted by the living rock exploding as soon as it gets near Aero.

"W-what? You sacrificed your own Pokémon just to faint mine? You're a monster!" Red shouts.

"You're not the only one who compliments me, kid." Giovanni smirks, switching out for Dugtrio.

"I'm not a kid!" Red returns Aerodactyl and sends out Snorlax.

"Snorlax, Yawn!" As soon as Snorlax does everyone in the entire gym begins to get drowsy, myself included. I guess Red didn't think that move through…

"Red… you idiot…" I say, trying to keep myself awake. I never knew Yawn was this powerful. Snorlax is the first to go down and collapses on the ground.

"Snorlax… Use Snore." Red commands. Snorlax lets out a low grumble that reverberates throughout the Gym, harming Dugtrio but amazingly not Dratini.

"Dratini… stay awake!" I say softly, trying to keep the dragon from falling asleep.

"Use Dragon Rage…!" Hopefully this'll keep Dratini going until the Yawn wears off, if it ever does… Or was that Outrage

? I'm too tired to think… Anyways, Dratini opens his mouth and lets out a shockwave that blasts Dugtrio back. Dugtrio then proceeds to bury itself underground.

"Great… Another two-turn move." I sigh.

I stand in place and wait for Dugtrio to surface, coaching Dratini on where to move to try to avoid being hit. I can feel a slight vibration in the ground and shout out to Dratini, but not fast enough. Dugtrio breaks the surface and hits Dratini head-on. Dratini is thrown backwards against the wall and slumps to the ground, knocked out. For the first time since I've arrived here I've actually been "whited out..." I don't like this feeling.

"Dratini, return!" I say, the effects of the Yawn beginning to wear off. Red's Snorlax is still asleep and still snoring, doing damage little by little to Dugtrio. Dugtrio then starts racing off towards Snorlax to try to reach him before he awakens. Snorlax does just that and scratches it stomach, not sure what's going on.

"Snorlax, roll over!" Red shouts and I'm suddenly reminded of a dog. Snorlax pushes itself up a little and begins rolling towards Dugtrio. Dugtrio's moving so fast that it can't move out of the way quickly enough and is flattened by Snorlax's body. That must've hurt…

"Go, Red, go!" I begin to cheer, not sure what else I have to do. All of my Pokémon are fainted… well, besides that one pokéball Mew gave me, but I'm smart enough to know that now isn't the time to use it.

Giovanni angrily returns Dugtrio from under the humongous mass and begins chuckling to himself.

"So… you two were able to defeat most of my Pokémon. How… cunning, you must be to be able to have done such a thing. However, I don't think you'll find this one as easy as the rest. I've saved the best for last. Let's see how you fare against this!" Giovanni sends out his last pokéball and out pops a Beedrill.

"A… bee? Your last Pokémon is a bee?" Red asks, confused.

"Red, don't underestimate any Pokémon, especially not one of his." I warn him.

"That's right… Beedrill happens to be my strongest Pokémon. Far stronger than Rhydon, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, you name any Pokémon I've recently sent out. Beedrill, Pin Missile!" Beedril moves its two stingers to be positioned directly in front of him and begins shooting out miniature stingers towards Snorlax. All of them hit the large Pokémon in the stomach one after another. Eventually one of them stains the area around the impact purple and I know that Snorlax has been poisoned.

"Snorlax, you can deal with those tiny needles! Just keep shaking them off!" Red encourages his Pokémon. Snorlax tries to stand up but fails. He falls to the ground.

"Snorlax!" Red shouts as he returns the Pokémon to its ball.

"Have you had enough yet?" Giovanni asks.

"Never!" Just like you, Red. He sends out Mankey and has him begin thrashing about. I don't think this will end well…

Mankey continues to jump all about and try to reach Beedrill to no avail. Beedrill keeps flying higher and higher out of Mankey's reach until Mankey has no hope whatsoever of hitting. Beedrill repeats his last move and begins shooting multiple pin missiles until Mankey's poisoned as well. The same thing that happened to Snorlax happens to Mankey; Mankey puts his arms in front of his face, eventually becomes too weak to do even that, starts wobbling, and eventually falls to the ground.

"Mankey!" Red returns the monkey and sends out his last Pokémon which really isn't his in the first place: Gyarados.

"So, I take it since you're using the Gym Leader's Pokémon you're out of your own? This will be easy to wrap up…" Giovanni taunts.

One thing that I've never understood is, how can you send out Pokémon who live in water on a terrain that has no water? Like, sending Gyarados out onto the Gym's field with no water in sight. That's just been answered; Gyarados is slithering around on the ground like a snake would. I wonder what'd happen if you sent out a more fish-like Pokémon like Goldeen…

"Gyarados, Ice Fang!" Looks like Red's regained his senses and is using strategy now. Gyarados extends its body to its full length and snaps at Beedrill, touching its wings slightly with his frosted fangs. The tips of the wings become frozen and Beedrill begins to descend, not being able to keep afloat due to the weight of the ice and the inability to flap.

"At least now you're using common sense…" I say to myself. Red glares at me then brings his attention back to the battle.

"Gyarados, Twister!" Gyarados begins spinning around in a circle to form said Twister while Beedrill tries to get as far away from the water type as possible. Gyarados finishes forming the Twister and launches it towards the bee.

"Beedrill, Agility!" Beedrill's body begins to glow a light blue while it begins to pick up speed despite the ice on its wings not melting. The Twister begins catching up with the Pokémon until it's nearly upon it, then engulfs it entirely.

"Yes! We did it!" Red shouts to me.

"Not quite… Never turn your back on the enemy." I say, still watching the Twister. Giovanni probably has a plan for something like this.

True to my thoughts, he does. As soon as the Twister subsides Beedrill comes flying at Gyarados at full speed, the Twister getting rid of the ice. Beedrill reaches Gyarados and begins pounding on him with its stingers, each hit seeming to do more damage than the last.

Gyarados eventually has enough and topples over just like Red's other two Pokémon. Giovanni has successfully defeated both Red and I at the same time. Amazing.

"See? Now do you understand that there is no possible way for you to defeat me? I really wish that there would've been a better way to settle this… But you leave me no choice. For refusing to join Team Rocket, you two must be punished. Beedrill, attack!" Beedrill, now finished with all of our Pokémon, begins charging towards _us. _Red stands his ground while I put my arms in front of my face defensively. I wait for the worst.

One second, two seconds, three seconds later nothing happens. I'm scared to open my eyes and see what's there, but eventually I gain enough courage to do so. I lower my arms and gasp at the sight.

…I am so going to kill her later.

Mew has decided that now would be a good time to show up and save us both. Due to the broken glass on the floor I can safely assume that she flew through the window to catch Giovanni's attention and is now attacking Beedrill. Beedrill now has to use its stingers to protect itself rather than attack due to Mew using Psychic so much.

"Red, now's our chance!" I shout to him. While Giovanni's busy with ordering Beedrill around, as well as trying to capture the Legendary, Red and I escape.

* * *

"That was… a close one…" Red pants as we enter through the Pokémon Center doors.

"You don't say?" I say, annoyed.

"Awww… I liked the not-mad you. Why do you have to change again?" He whines.

"Because you almost got us killed! Again! And again and again and again!" I shout. Nurse Joy looks over at me questioningly then goes back to work.

"I'm sorry!" Red apologizes.

"You're always sorry, Red! Apologies mean nothing if you don't go through with them! If you were really sorry then you'd be trying to stop getting us almost killed! If Mew hadn't come in when she had, we _would've _been killed!" Even though I want to kill her I'm also extremely grateful.

"Yeah… And we didn't even get anything out of it!" I seriously now want to punch this kid. Even though I'm in love with him, sometimes he makes me want to hurt him.

"We almost got killed and the only thing you're thinking of is your stupid badge?!" I yell.

"Well, isn't that what we came here for?" He yells back.

"It doesn't matter! We almost got killed and all you care about is your stupid badge! If you want it so badly, then here! Take it!" I throw the Earth Badge in Red's direction and quickly turn around. I had picked it up during our flight from Giovanni. Maybe he dropped it when he was going after Mew? I can tell that he's awestruck due to the gasp, but I don't care. I stomp out of the Pokémon Center and don't look back.

* * *

I cry more than I ever have before. I know that it's just Red's personality, that he's just a child, but… that idiot! Why does he make me feel this way? I've never cried for anyone in my life before, I've always kept to myself. I've never shown anyone my true feelings. I guess that's why.

I continue sitting for an hour until I hear someone walking towards me. I look up to see that it's… Yellow.

"Hey, mister… are you alright?" She asks.

"What do you want?" I snap at her.

"I… just wanted to know if you were ok." She asks timidly.

"What does it look like?" I shout, the tears returning.

"I'm sorry if I made you even more upset. I just… can feel your pain." She walks up next to me and sits down, putting her arm around my shoulder. I'm too much of a mess to care… Normally I'd push her off, but…

"He's just… so stupid sometimes!" I shout again.

"There, there…" She says.

"Why would he think a _badge _is worth more than his own life? Than my life?" I continue.

"It sounds to me that he's just trying to lessen the severity of the situation, at least to himself, by 'joking' around it. I haven't known either of you for very long, so I'm not positive." Yellow explains.

"Maybe… but he always does this! Always! No matter how many times I ask him not to! He always gets us into trouble… And I always have to try to find a way out of it! Someday, I _won't _be able to! This time… we were lucky…" After my rant I begin to feel tired…

Yellow notices the change in my demeanor helps me stand up and walks me back to the Pokémon Center, books a room for me, and lets the Nurse take over. She walks me to my room, tucks me in under the covers, and I fall asleep, thinking of what Red's doing.


	32. Victory Road

Author's Note:

I can't believe that there's only going to be a few more chapters in the first Arc; then I'm off to Yellow! Hopefully I'll learn how to deal with her soon. Again, read, review, favorite, follow, etc. If you like the story, of course.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Pokemon, nor do I own anything related to the series. Nintendo does.

* * *

"Is this how it's gonna go? We fight, break up, then we make up? It's as if we're already in a relationship without the relationship part!" I shout towards the sky. A couple seconds later Mew teleports in from who knows where.

"Pretty much. At least, until you actually get in a relationship! Then you can do much more once you make up." She winks and I blush. Typical reaction from me.

"Oh, and here's your friend, brother, boyfriend thing back." I'm not in the mood to joke right now so I toss her Mewtwo's pokéball. She immediately sobers up.

"Oh… Mewtwo…" She says softly. Just like with me, she can change moods in the blink of an eye.

"I take it now would be a good time to leave?" I suggest, wanting to get out of here.

"No, no, it's fine. In fact, I think things will be much better now that he's back. Since you're both guys, I think he'd be able to help you much more with your relationship problems than I would." She explains.

"Unless he's gay, I don't think that'd help." I respond.

"Ah… you're right. Sorry." Now's her turn to blush. She sends out Mewtwo. Instead of the male being in his Pokémon form he's just like Mew; a human-like creature.

"I'm guessing that all Legendaries are going to be human? At least, in my mind?" I ask for confirmation.

"Yep! Each and every one of us! And not just Legendaries. If you were somehow able to bring a normal Pokémon here, even they'd be a human! Or, as human as they could get, at least." She explains.

"So, Mewtwo. How's it been?" I ask.

"…Fine." Not much of a talker, huh?

"He hasn't really interacted with many humans as you can easily tell." Mew apologizes for his lack of communication skills.

"You wouldn't have had much contact with humans either if you had been stuck in a tube for that long…" He grumbles to himself.

"We tried getting you out as fast as we could! We couldn't do anything before because-" Mewtwo stops me.

"Because you were too busy chasing after Mew, making sure that she was safe. I know that already." He says in a harsh tone. I flinch.

"Actually, that was Red. I was just following him, making sure _he _was safe." I clarify.

"What difference does it make? You two were following Mew, end of story." He states.

"I hope you realize I'm right here!" Mew butts in.

"Yes, yes, I do." Mewtwo sighs.

"So, what _are_ you? Brother and Sister? Boyfriend and Girlfriend? Friend and… Friend?" I ask.

"More like all three at the same time." Mew answers.

"…What?" Is all I can think of as a response.

"Well, you see, it's… complicated. Pokémon don't really have 'partners' or 'families;' we're just grouped up with other Pokémon. Like a regular Pokémon's egg group. We're meant for certain Pokémon and those certain Pokémon only. Mewtwo and I are paired

Together, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres are together, Entei, Raikou, and Suicune are together, Ho-Oh and Lugia are paired together, etc." She explains.

"Well, I'm happy that all Pokémon have others that they're meant for. I wish that were true for me…" I remember the fight that Red and I had earlier. Well, not really the fight "we" had… It was really I who fought; he just stood there and took it.

Now that I think about it, it was absolutely stupid! I know that Red's an idiot for thinking that a badge was more important than our lives, but… I hate to admit it, but what Yellow said made sense. Red's always joking, trying to make the people around him feel better… That might've been it. He was just trying to make me feel better by joking around. But he should know better than to joke with me about something serious!

"I know Philippe, I know. Don't worry; you just need to give him some time to realize his mistake and apologize for it. You've already realized your mistake; that's half the battle." Mew says.

"I know… So, is it time for me to wake up now?" I ask.

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask us?" Mew asks back. And then something hit me.

"Ah… I just remembered something." I start.

"What is it?" Mew encourages.

"_Why did you risk yourself by flying into the Gym and saving us?" _I scream.

"Uh… bye!" Mew disappears with a pop and Mewtwo just sighs. He waves his hand and I feel myself coming back to consciousness.

* * *

I give a slight groan as I return to the world of the living and hear a slight movement from across the room. I open my eyes to see that it's… Yellow. Why did it have to be her, of all people, to be the first person I see when I woke up? Why couldn't it have been Red?

"Are you feeling better?" She asks.

"Where's Red?" Is the first thing I say to her.

"Oh… um… about that…" She doesn't look like she wants to answer… why?

"What about Red? Is everything alright with him?" Now I'm getting worried.

"Oh! Red's safe! It's not as if he were in any danger. It's just…" She still won't answer my question!

"Just answer the question." I ask in a harsher tone.

"Red's… already left for the Pokémon League." My heart sinks. Did… he actually leave me here?

"He wanted me to give this to you." She hands me a letter and begins to exit the room. I'm all alone again… I open the letter.

"Philippe, I thought about what you said earlier and you're completely wrong! I didn't put the badge before our lives; I was just saying how bad it was that we risked our lives for something and we didn't get anything out of it! You didn't have to yell at me for it! I really thought you knew how I thought. You were the closest person I had. Anyways, I've left for the Pokémon League. You can go back to wherever you're from. I don't care."

The thing from the letter that hit me the hardest was "You were the closest person I had." "Were"… "Had"… Does that mean he doesn't consider me… a friend anymore? The tears from yesterday start falling once more. Boy, I'm such a sob story.

Yellow decides to walk in right then and goes back to putting her arm around me, just like she did the day before.

"Yellow, why… do you always come in… at the worst moments?" I ask.

"I don't really know. All I do know is when you're feeling this way. Which, since I've met you, is a lot." She responds.

I can't hate her right now. She's just too… nice. She's nice after everything that's happened between Red and I, and… I need someone. For now, at least. Once this entire ordeal's over I'll go back to hating her.

And why do I hate her, you might ask? Well, for one thing she's the one person who's going to stand between Red and I in the future. She's the only person who has any chance at getting with him, besides me, and I don't even know if Red's like that or not! With how things are going now, even if he was he'd probably hate me… Anyways, the second reason is because she's a goody-two-shoes. Not just acting that way to get in good with people, but she's naturally nice. Too nice…

I've stopped crying a couple minutes after Yellow walked in and begin to get up.

"Philippe, where are you going?" She questions.

"I'm going after Red." It's a statement. Nothing more, nothing less. No one's going to stop me.

"I'm not going to try to stop you, you know. In fact, I'm going to ask if I can go with you." …What? I hope she knows that this just fuels my hatred for her by backing it up with what little evidence that the action gives.

"Why do you want to come with me?" I ask.

"It'll help me become a better trainer!" She says excitedly.

"You and Red have so much more training than me… but that's probably why Red's able to get into the league! Which brings up a question; why aren't you competing?" She asks.

"Well, Red's really been the one fighting all the battles. I've just been recording the data on the Pokémon we encounter." I explain. I get my bag from the corner of the room and hope that no one's touched anything.

When I open the bag I realize that no one _has _touched anything. Not even Red to get the PokéDex that's been stashed in there for who knows how long.

"Of course he forgets it…" I say to myself.

"Forgets what?" I forgot that the girl was here and quickly curse to myself.

"Just his PokéDex. Professor Oak gave it to him to fill out, but he's been letting me record the data. Guess he stormed out without taking it." I explain.

"Oh… Well, that's just another reason why you should go after him!" She exclaims.

"To give it back? I don't really think he needs it, anyways. He never uses it during battles; he just uses his own intuition and gut." Which is one of the things I both love and hate about him.

"Do you have everything you need?" I ask her, giving in. Hey, it's better to be able to keep an eye on her than to let her roam free.

"Yep! I always carry everything I need, just in case something unexpected happens." Of course she does.

* * *

"Why would I forget the most important thing? _How _would I forget the most important thing?" I say to myself as I abruptly stop.

"What did you forget?" Yellow asks innocently.

"This is the reason why I was going to travel with Red to the Plateau; they don't let you past the gates without all eight badges." I explain.

"But… how do the spectators get in without the badges?" …Good point.

"All I know so far is that this is the way the challengers have to go… I have no idea how the spectators get in. So, on that note, let's go." I walk behind a tree and send out Gengar. Yellow has no idea what I'm doing so I'm trying to go as quickly as possible. I have Gengar turn me invisible. Yellow decides to check on what I'm doing and is confused when she doesn't see me.

"Philippe? Where are you?" She asks.

"Right here." I say from behind her. She jumps and falls to the ground.

"W-where?" She asks, now frightened.

I have Gengar flicker me for a second just so she can see. She now looks more confused than ever.

"Could you please explain to me what's going on?" She inquires.

"Gengar and I have had this entire stunt figured out for a while now; I've just never known when I'd need to use it. I found out that Gengar could hide inside of my shadows when we were inside of the Silph Co. building and my mind just built off of that idea. I thought that if Gengar could hide inside of me, why couldn't I hide inside of Gengar? Well, have Gengar make me invisible, really. Don't know how my mind got from one point to another. Make sense?" From the look on her face, doesn't look like it.

"Will it be able to help me get in as well?" She stops trying to understand.

"Yeah. Gengar, do your thing." Gengar slithers over to Yellow through a shadow, Yellow flickers, then becomes invisible as well.

"This feels… odd." She comments.

"It does your first time. Just, try walking around a bit. I don't want you bumping into anyone, or anything, and giving away our location." I tell her. I can tell she's walking around, trying to get used to the feeling, because I can see her foot prints in the dirt road we've been walking on. At least it ends here.

I give her a couple more minutes of practicing moving around and tell her it's time to go. We both head towards the guards that previously threw us out and I stick my tongue out at them tauntingly. It feels good to be able to do that now.

We continue to walk in silence past the new guards as well as the trainers in order to keep hidden. When we finally make it to the entrance of the cave we duck behind another bush and have Gengar release the invisibility on us.

"I never want to have to do that again…" I sigh.

"It wasn't that hard, was it?" Yellow asks.

"To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure how long Gengar would've lasted. We could've become visible at any moment." A look of horror crosses Yellow's face for a second, then it disappears.

"You could've warned me about that beforehand!" She yells.

"Keep your voice down, there's still people and guards around us." I warn her. She quiets down.

We make it into the cave and I immediately feel nostalgia. Though the cave may be a little different from when I last saw it, I still remember most of the familiarities. Such as the strength puzzle I absolutely hated. The only thing different about it this time is that it's already been completed. Must've been Red.

"Looks like someone's already been through here." Yellow points out.

"Makes it all the easier for us to get through, then. We at least have a path to follow; the person before us didn't." I wonder how long it took Red to figure out the puzzle…

We walk over the rocks and around the platforms. Up the stairs, down the ladders, and over the ledges. It's much easier since Red's defeated all of the trainers here; it's as empty as Cerulean was before we calmed Mewtwo.

We run into an occasional Zubat or two, but not as many as I would've thought there'd be.

"Where are all the wild Pokémon?" Yellow asks. Seems she's thinking the same things I am.

"Red probably scared them off. He's always so noisy whenever he's excited about something." I tell her.

"You and Red seem to be great friends. I wish I had someone like that…" Yellow sighs.

"You have Rattata, you know that, right?" I remind her.

"Yes, but I mean a human. It's so hard making friends with my condition." …Condition? I come to a halt.

"What condition?" I ask her.

"It's nothing serious. It's not even a physical condition. It's just… something special about me that scares others away." Ah… she must mean her connection with Pokémon. I must remember to not let it slip that I know.

We continue to walk in silence until we reach the end of the cave. We made it through much faster than I thought it was going to be…

"Philippe, why do so many people complain about how difficult Victory Road is? That wasn't hard at all!" She expresses.

"I know… It's probably because Red had already gone through it not that long ago. He had beaten the wild Pokémon, so those were fainted. The others were probably too scared to come out. And the trainers were more than likely already beaten by Red and had left the cave." For once Red's actions actually made my life easier instead of more difficult.

"So, now where do we go? We're out of the cave, but I still can't see the stadium!" Yellow's right; we've gone through the cave, but all I can see is a wide expanse of forest.

"Maybe it's through the trees…" I say as I walk towards the barrier. Yellow follows behind.

We break through the first line of trees and see that it's going to take much longer than expected.

"Of course… First Victory Road, now this." I sigh.

"Well, they wouldn't make it easy for the competitors, would they?" She suggests.

"No, I guess they wouldn't have." I shouldn't be complaining; Red had a much harder time than we're having.

"Philippe, how close are you and Red? I know that you've proven to be great friends, even with that fight you had earlier, but… is there anything more?" I knew she'd eventually ask this; everyone does.

"There's nothing going on between us; we're just friends." I answer.

"Doesn't seem like you like that." She comments.

"What does it matter? He hates me now." I sigh.

"No, he doesn't. Friends always have fights; if they didn't that'd be strange." She explains.

"How would you know? You said earlier you didn't have any friends." I remind her.

"It doesn't matter if I don't have any friends myself. I've seen how other people act around their friends. I've seen how people act around their partners. Everyone fights eventually." She continues.

"Speaking of that… who were those people back in Viridian? They seemed to be close to you." I ask.

"They weren't my friends. They were just friends of my parents. I… never really knew them. I've been taken care of my entire life by those people you saw. I'm grateful for that, but… I'm not really close to them." Sounds a lot like me. I both hate and take comfort in the fact that Yellow's more like me than I thought.

We continue walking through the forest in silence until we break through. After we past the last tree, we see the gigantic Pokémon Stadium up ahead.

"There it is!" Yellow exclaims. She seems to be much more excited than I am. Probably because I don't want to confront Red… not this soon after our fight.

"Yeah, there it is." Yellow begins running down the hill to the building and I have to start running as well just to keep up.

* * *

"Wow…" Yellow gasps as she twirls round and round, taking in all the sights of the lobby. It's quite a sight, I have to admit. There's so much to see, so many people, it's a bit overwhelming. I should've expected it, really. I mean, it _is _the Pokémon League Competition. People all across Kanto should be here to partake in the viewing of the top trainers battling it out.

"Hm… I suggest that we go find out where Red is supposed to be battling, first." I say to her. She nods and follows me to the reception desk.

"Excuse me, miss?" I ask the woman behind the desk.

"Yes?" She responds.

"I was wondering… when would my friend be going up? His name's 'Red.'" I ask.

"Oh. Your friend should be called… not too long from now. His match is scheduled to begin in 15 minutes. Arena three." She answers.

"Good; we're not too late." I say to Yellow.

"Hm… are you two Pokémon trainers?" She asks me as I'm turning around. I turn back and face her.

"Yes; why do you ask?" I ask back.

"Just curious. I'm always amazed at how young people are becoming trainers these days! I remember in my day we had to be much older before we could get our first Pokémon. I guess it's good to get more experience when you're young. I only hope my son will be as enthusiastic about Pokémon as you are when he's your age." She explains.

"You have a son? How old is he?" Now I'm curious.

"He's only one year old. His name's Nate!" The woman tells us.

"Well, I hope so too. Pokémon have changed my life." I say. They really have...

"Even though I've only had my Pokémon for a couple of days, he's already changed mine!" Yellow exclaims. She sends out Rattata and squeals as he scampers up her leg, then her arm.

"You two look like you're having so much fun! Well, I've taken up enough of your time. Your friend's match is about to start. You should get going!" We thank her and dash off to the gate with a giant red 3 over the door. The stands aren't as crowded as I thought they'd be. They're probably off watching some of the more well-known trainers. At least it makes it easier to get a seat. I walk through the doorway and take a seat.

"So, when do you think he'll come out?" Yellow asks, taking a seat next to me.

"I don't know…" As soon as I finish the gates on either side of the arena open up. Out of the left gate a man in his mid-30s walks out. Out of the right gate… Red.


	33. Blue VS Dr O

Author's Note:

Not much to say. Soooooo, yeah. That's it.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Pokémon, nor anything related to it. Nintendo does.

* * *

"This match of the 9th Pokémon League Competition will be between trainer Red from Pallet Town and trainer Zeke from Cerulean City! Trainers, send out your first Pokémon!" The announcer says over the intercom.

I'm still sitting in the stands with Yellow, amazed that Red could bounce back from our fight so quickly. He's able to stand on his own without me… He sends out Venusaur as his first while the trainer named Zeke sends out a Seadra.

"Let the match commence!" Red has Venusaur start off with a Razor Leaf while the Seadra dives into the pool that it was sent into. The leaves skim off the surface, completely missing the Pokémon.

"Seadra, Water Gun!" Zeke shouts. The sprout of water does little damage to Venusaur. Red has Venusaur use Vine Whip to drag Seadra out of the water, lifting the Pokémon up and slamming him back into the ground. It's a one-hit knock-out.

I guess Red hasn't completely gotten over it… he's much more aggressive than he normally is. At least, that's the vibe I'm getting.

"Philippe, Red seems different from when I met him in Viridian Forest. Is he always this way?" Yellow asks.

"No, he's normally not. He's normally how he was back then. I guess it hit him hard, too." I explain.

"What hit who hard?" Another voice comments. Oh god, no…

"Hi, Delia." It's Red's mom. Why did I forget about her? Of course she'd be here! I mean, it's her _son _competing in the League.

"It's nothing, really." I continue.

"Well, if it's about Red then it's usually something serious. I swear, that boy's always getting himself into trouble." I laugh a little at that due to the truth behind her words.

"So, you're Red's mom?" Yellow asks. I forgot; she wasn't there when we first met Delia.

"Yes, I am. And, who are you?" She responds.

"I'm a friend of Philippe's and Red's." Yellow responds.

"So you're another friend! I guess we're the only three here rooting for Red, then. Blue and Green are both entered in the League as well, so they're not going to be able to hope for Red to win." Delia explains.

"So, what was that about something hitting Red hard?" She persists.

"It's a bit of a long story…" Yellow begins explaining. I'm grateful to her that I won't have to do the explaining. I don't want to be the one getting Red in trouble… and I know that Delia will be speaking with Red after this about the entire incident.

I shift my attention back over to the fight and see that Red's knocked another one of Zeke's Pokémon out, Seaking, but Zeke has also knocked out Venusaur. Red's currently fighting with Primeape and Zeke with Vaporeon. Looks like Mankey evolved sometime during Victory Road.

"Primeape, Cross Chop!" Primeape lifts both of his arms up into the air and slams them down on Vaporeon. The water Eevee then jumps back into the pool, the water beginning to glow around it. The cuts and bruises that were on the Pokémon's skin begin to fade away, even if only slightly, then it jumps back out.

"Primape, Thunderpunch!" The Pokémon's fists begin to glow yellow, electricity shooting out every which way, then he pulls one back and punches Vaporeon in the face. Vaporeon's body goes flying and the Pokémon's knocked unconscious. Red must've done a lot of training in the cave if Primeape was able to hit Vaporeon without it being able to counter.

"And the first match goes to Red!" The announcer shouts. I turn my attention back to Delia and Yellow.

"Red, Red, Red… How many times do I have to keep telling you?" Delia says to herself.

"What do you have to keep telling him?" I question.

"Yellow told me about the fight that you and he had in the Pokémon Center. Yes, it's true that Red tries to lessen the severity of things by joking. I keep telling him that eventually he'll find a person who isn't like that and will be hurt by his joking. He just wouldn't believe me!" She shouts in frustration.

"It was a bit my fault as well, Delia. Don't completely blame him. I was the one who got angry and shouted at him in the first place…" I apologize. Mew was right; realizing that I made a mistake was only half the battle. The hard part was actually apologizing for the mistake.

"Don't blame yourself, Philippe. I kept warning Red that this might happen. When he gets back, I have something I'd like to say to him…" Delia says, her tone harshening.

"Um… Delia? Could I please have a word with Red before you do? I'd like to talk with him myself, if you wouldn't mind." I ask.

"Oh. Sure. If you can get him to apologize, then I congratulate you." She answers.

"Thanks." I get up and head to the receptionist's desk again. Yellow follows.

I begin looking around for Red, hoping to catch him before he heads off for his next match. I spot him speaking with the receptionist from earlier and wait for him to finish. Once he does, he spots me and quickly turns around, trying to get away from me as soon as possible.

"Red, wait!" I shout. I really don't want to lose him… But it just makes him walk even faster. I quicken my pace as well.

"Red, please!" I shout again. He comes to a dead halt and turns around.

"What. Don't you see you're beginning to cause a scene?" He says in a cold, harsh tone.

"Red, I'd just like to talk." I repeat.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm kind of in a hurry. I have a match to get to." He says.

"Red, I don't care if you made it to the championship match and were late; you're going to listen." I demand. He's taken aback by the change in attitude and listens.

"Fine. Say what it is you're going to say, then let me go." He responds.

"Red, I'll be the first to say this: I'm sorry." Now he's shocked even more than before, but quickly recovers.

"You should be. It _was _your fault; you were the one who yelled at me!" He shouts back.

"Red, I know that you were just trying to make me feel better by joking, but… I'm just not like that. I don't like trying to pass things off; I need to talk about them with someone. I need to understand. I need someone who'll be there for me. I just… needed you to understand." I explain slowly. His facial expression begins to soften as he begins to understand what I've said.

"Philippe… Heh, I guess my Mom was right. You can't expect everyone to be the same. I'm sorry, too. I really should've thought about how you felt during the situation; you've always needed me in the past, why wouldn't you need me then?" I'm a little confused, but grateful for his apology. I guess he's just as mood-swingy as I am. We're at least back on equal terms.

"Yeah… I don't deal with life-threatening situations that well, as you can easily see by what happened at the Silph Co." I give a little laugh at the end.

"So… how was Victory Road?" I ask, not liking the awkward silence.

"Philippe, I wasn't saying that I had to get to my next match just to get rid of you. I seriously do have one starting in… 5 minutes." He explains.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Well, where is your next fight?" I ask.

"Same Arena as before; 3." We go back to Yellow and Delia and make our way to Arena 3. I explain to the other two what had happened and Delia looks relieved while Yellow just blushes.

"So, I guess you should be heading to the arena now! Good luck!" I shout. He gives a nod and starts walking away.

"So… looks like you two are alright now! I'm glad." Delia says.

"So am I." I respond.

Delia, Yellow and I continue to watch the match in silence. Now that Red and I are friends again, there's not much to talk about. Red ends up easily winning the match, again. This time he was against an electric trainer and Aerodactyl completely crushed him.

All of us wait for him to exit the stage and we regroup.

"So, Red. How does your second win feel?" I ask.

"This all feels too easy. I want a challenge!" He shouts.

"I guess you got your wish." A male voice speaks.

"Green!" Red exclaims as the voice produces a body.

"If you want a challenge, then you'd best make it to the finals." Green says.

"You bet I will!" Red promises.

"By the way, Red, did you know that every champion so far has come from Pallet Town?" Green says, out of the blue.

"No, I didn't." He admits.

"Well, let's keep that statement true. It all comes down to whether it will be you or I who wins the finals." With that, he leaves as quickly as he came. What an odd boy.

"Ooohhh!" Another voice sounds from somewhere in the crowd and before I know it both Red and I are knocked to the ground.

"I'm so happy you two made up!" Blue shrieks as she gets off of us.

"I'm happy that you're happy, but I just have one question: How did you know that we were having problems?" I ask. Blue seems to know everything about everyone; it's scary.

"Well, when I saw Red applying for the League without you I knew something was up!" Guess that did kind of give it away. It also means that Blue was spying on us.

"Alright, I guess that answers that." I state.

"Blue, I have a question myself. How did you get all eight badges?" Red asks

"Before you say anything else, no, I didn't steal them. I earned them fair and square! See?" She takes out a badge box and shows us all eight of her badges. They're different from the eight that Red earned, so I guess that means that there's more than just eight Gym Leaders in each region.

"Well, I guess you're strong enough to be able to get badges on your own… But that doesn't mean you're strong enough to beat me!" Red says.

"We'll just see about that!" And Blue walks away.

"Red, who was that?" Yellow asks as she catches up with us. We kind of "lost her" on the way here.

"That was another friend of ours, Blue. She's the girl who stole my badges!" It's now Yellow's turn to be shocked.

"She stole your badges, yet you're still friends with her?" She asks.

"It's a long, complicated story." Yes, yes it is.

We would've spoken more, but the announcer tells us that the third round is about to begin soon. We head over to Arena 3 yet again to get ready to watch another battle.

* * *

The next few rounds are uneventful with Red being the winner in all of them. It's now time for the sixth round, the Semi-Finals, and Red's more nervous than he's ever been.

"Philippe, I've made it to the semi-finals. What if I mess up? What if my Pokémon become too tired? What if they don't listen to me? What if-" I stop him there.

"Red, you've made it this far without any problems. You're going to do just fine. Just, continue doing what you've been doing and nothing will go wrong. Unless you're opponent's stronger than you. Then there's nothing you _can _do. Just, don't worry." I reassure him. He seems a bit better after that.

"The first of the two semi-final matches is about to begin! Everyone, please make your way to Arena 1." The announcer says over the intercom. We all head over to Arena 1 and take our seats.

"So, I wonder who else made it to the semi-finals." Red says to himself.

"We're about to find out." The two doors on either side of the arena open up. From the left side… Blue? All four of us, Delia, Red, Yellow, and I, are shocked at this.

"Blue?! She actually made it to the semi-finals?" Red shouts unbelievingly.

"I guess so. She's much stronger than she looks, that's for sure." I say.

From the right side comes a man that I've never seen before. He looks familiar, but… I can't remember from where.

"From the left, Trainer Blue from Pallet Town!" Red gasps again at the knowledge that Blue's from his home town.

"From the left, Dr. O.!" As soon as the announcer says that I remember who the person is. "Dr. O." He seriously couldn't have picked a better name than that? At least he's covering his face with bandages.

"Trainers, on your ready." Blue and Dr. O. both reach for a pokéball and wait for the announcer's start.

"Begin!" Blue sends out Jigglypuff while Dr. O. sends out a Spearow. I can hear the crowd's murmur from here, talking about how Blue sent out a mere Jigglypuff in the semifinals and how Dr. O. sent out a mere Spearow in the semifinals.

"You made it this far in the League by using just a Spearow? Well, I guess you got lucky. But you're luck's just about to run out! Jigglypuff, attack!" Jigglypuff sends out a beam towards Spearow that completely misses.

"Huh?" Is all Blue has time to say before the Spearow is on her and Jigglypuff and is pecking non-stop.

"Like his Fury Attack?" Dr. O. asks.

"Jigglypuff, Sing!" Blue shouts. The song makes everyone in the entire crowd, including the four of us, begin to get drowsy. Just like in Viridian…

It's a little easier to withstand the song compared to the yawn, but it's still hard. Dr. O. seems to be having an incredibly easy time resisting it, however. He continues having Spearow attack Jigglypuff with Fury Attack.

"Go for an aerial attack!" Red shouts. Looks like the song hasn't affected him as bad as the rest of the audience. Jigglypuff was interrupted by the Spearow's attacks, so I'm recovering from the song pretty quickly myself.

"Red, don't you think that… something might be wrong with Blue? Look at how she's acting." I point out. Blue's been holding back and trying to stay as far away as possible from the bird. Red just shouts even louder.

"Hurry up Blue! If you don't do anything now he'll win!" He shouts over the crowd.

"I can't!" Blue shouts back.

"Why not?" Red shouts.

"Never underestimate your opponent." Dr. O. interrupts.

"Please learn from this battle that no matter what your intentions are, stealing will never help you win!" Dr. O. shouts over the crowd. He sends out a Dodrio and a Pidgeotto along with the Spearow that he's been fighting with. Neither of them ready themselves to attack.

Dr. O. begins walking towards Blue, and Blue keeps to her corner.

"Alright, now! Disable!" Blue shouts, suddenly getting over her apparent fear. Jigglypuff's Disable disables both Dr. O. for a few seconds as well as his Pokémon.

"If I have to attack from the sky, then my only option is you!" Blue switches out Jigglypuff for Blastoise.

"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" Blue jumps onto Blastoise's back just before he lets out the jet of water and flies up into the air with him.

"Even though Blastoise isn't a flying type, it doesn't mean he doesn't have any aerial attacks!" She shouts to Dr. O.

"Blastoise, spin!" Blastoise begins spinning around, shooting the Hydro Pump all over, dousing both the Spearow and the audience. A couple of seconds later Blastoise gains control of the spinning and is now primarily aiming it towards Dr. O. and his Pokémon.

"While we're at it, how about taking off that mask of yours?" She has Blastoise turn its cannons towards Dr. O. in an attempt to remove the bandages wrapped around his face.

"Girl, have you ever heard the saying 'Birds bounce words back to you?' Because Spearow can do that with more than just words! Mirror Move!" Spearow creates a shield that protects both itself as well as Dr. O. and the Hydro Pump is completely reversed. It heads towards Blastoise and Blue and knocks both of them off balance.

"Blastoise, land!" Blastoise lessens the water pressure coming from its cannons as it lowers itself to the ground.

As soon as Blastoise lands, Blue orders him to continue the assault on Spearow. Blastoise increases the pressure once more.

"Spearow, Mirror Move!" Just as what happened last time, the Hydro Pump is reflected by the Mirror Move and hits Blastoise. Spearow then takes this opportunity to move in on Blue.

"No! Get away!" Blue shouts, trying to back into her corner again. The Spearow just keeps coming.

"No!" She shouts again.

"Philippe, what's wrong with Blue?!" Red asks, worried.

"I think it's time I explained to you something. Red, you know when I asked to stay back for a couple of minutes when you took back your badges from Blue?" He nods.

"Well, I really wanted to talk to her about what's going on right now. You see, Blue wasn't always her tricky, thieving self. Six years ago, when Blue was only five years old, a huge bird Pokémon came and took her away. No one knew what had happened to her, and no one knew where she had went." I explain as Dr. O.'s doing the same thing to the crowd.

"But… how do you know this, Philippe?" Red asks, now confused.

"Because I spoke with Professor Oak after we had last seen him those several months ago. He explained to me about why he thought that we were the thieves coming back to steal his Pokémon. He knew it wasn't us; he just wanted us to learn a lesson. He found a picture taken by the security cameras in the lab, and on the picture was Blue." I finish explaining.

"I see, but… what does this have to do with Professor Oak ?" Red asks.

"Just look for yourself." I point towards Dr. O. as he begins taking off the soaked bandages from his face. As soon as the rest fall off, the audience, as well as Red, gasp.

"Professor Oak?!" He shrieks.

"Get away from me!" Blue shouts. She now has Blastoise use Hydro Pump in an attempt to blast Spearow away, but the bird just uses Mirror Move once more. Since Blastoise had lost so much health from the previous two reflected Hydro Pumps, this is all that it takes to finish him. Blastoise is knocked to the ground and is knocked out.

"I… lost?" Blue says to herself as she slides to the ground.

"Blue, I only have one question for you." Professor Oak begins as he walks towards her. He returns his bird Pokémon while doing so, which calms Blue down a little. Very little. When he reaches her he bends down and gets on her level.

"Blue, why did you steal that Squirtle?" He asks.

"Because it was unfair!" She shouts.

"What was unfair?" Professor Oak asks once more.

"I had grown up in a place that I didn't know, without my family, without friends… The only thing I knew was that I was from Pallet Town, in Kanto. And when I heard that two boys from Pallet Town had been given Pokédexes by Professor Oak, I knew I had to have one! It wasn't fair that I didn't get one, just because I was taken from my home by a complete stranger! I wanted to go on a journey beside them! I wanted a Pokémon from you, as well as a Pokédex, so I could begin my journey… with them…" Blue's sobbing by the end of her explanation, and the entire audience is silent.

"Blue, remember what I said? 'No matter the reason, never steal from others.' If you can understand why I tell you this, then the third Pokédex..." Professor Oak begins. Blue's mouth opens slightly in shock as he takes out the device.

"Belongs to the third great trainer of Pallet Town, Blue." Blue crawls to Professor Oak and begins sobbing in his lap, thankful for the second chance.

During all of this, Red had begun crying at some point as well. So had Yellow and Delia, too. I'm the only one not crying and it's making me feel guilty!

"So, this is why you didn't want me to be harsh on her, right?" Red asks.

"Yeah. I knew her past, and I didn't want anyone or anything putting more guilt on her. I wanted to tell you, but… I knew that it wouldn't be good for more people to know about her private life." I explain. Red nods in understanding and all four of us get up and exit the Arena.

* * *

"Attention all participants and guests!" A man shouts over the intercom.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, Dr. O. has withdrawn from the Pokémon League Competition! Since both trainers of the first Semi-Final round are out, this means that the second Semi-Final round, between Red and Green, is now the Final round!" Many people gasp while Red just stares at the intercom.

"You know what this means, Red, don't you?" I say.

"Yeah. It means that this next battle, between Green and I, will determine the Kanto Regional Champion."


	34. Final Battle

Author's Note:

And here we are, the last official chapter of the RGB Arc. It feels like just yesterday that I had finally decided to start this... I know that this is barely anything compared to what lies ahead, but I'm still glad that I've accomplished so much. I'm also thankful for you, the people who've read this far and have kept up with me. I only hope that I can continue to get better and better with time.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Pokémon or anything associated with it. Nintendo does.

* * *

"Are you nervous?" I ask the finalist.

"No, not at all!" He says, obviously nervous.

"I bet you're nervous." I continue.

"I said I'm not nervous!" He says again.

"You're defensive. That means you're nervous." I tease.

"I said I'm not nervous and that means I'm not nervous!" He shouts. I give a small giggle.

"Of course you're not." Now that we're friends again, I'm trying to have as much fun as possible.

We continue walking around for the next couple of minutes before the announcer says that it's an hour before the final round. Red jumps a little and I can see how nervous he really is.

"Red, don't sweat it. You're gonna do great!" I try to reassure him.

"Hopefully…" He's now showing how nervous he really is. How long has it been since he's last fought Green?

"How do you think Green's Pokémon are doing?" I ask.

"Compared to how much stronger they were than mine when ours were switched, they're probably much stronger." He sighs.

"Don't worry. His Pokémon might be stronger than yours, but you have a bond that he doesn't! Your Pokémon love and care for you, Red. Green's too busy training to have the same. I've told you this before." I remind him.

"Training and strength aren't the only things that determine matches." I finish.

"But they sure do help." He's got a point there.

"Are you two done flirting over there?" Delia says as she walks up to us from nowhere. Red immediately blushes as do I.

"M-Mom! We were not flirting!" Red shouts.

"Of course you weren't, darling." Now, where have I heard that before?

"So, do you have a plan for the finals?" Red shifts his gaze to the ground.

"Red, this isn't going to be like your other matches. You're actually going to need a plan for this one." I tell him.

"I'll leave you two to that. Red never listens to me." And just like that, she left as soon as she came. She does that a lot.

"So, let's think. What Pokémon does Green currently have?" I ask.

"Well, there's his Charizard." Red starts.

"And I know he has a Golduck, Machamp, and Pidgeot…" I continue

"Then there's his Scyther, Porygon, and Ninetales." Red finishes.

"So, which six do you think he'll use in the match? That is, if he hasn't caught anymore." I have no idea what's up with Green right now. He just loves doing things on his own.

"Charizard, most likely." Red comments.

"Poliwrath or Aerodactyl would be your best choice for him. For Golduck… Venusaur?" I suggest.

"Yeah. Only trouble would be if Golduck knew any Psychic attacks. Which, knowing Green, it probably does. For Machamp it's simple: Fight Fighting with Fighting. Unless Poliwrath's down by then. Which I know he won't be! He's my first and my best." Red says proudly.

"But not your favorite, right? You love every Pokémon equally, isn't that right?" I say with a bit of an accusing tone.

"Yeah, I love them all equally. So, Pidgeot would be Aerodactyl again?" Red asks.

"Right. Rock against Flying. Scyther is best taken care of by… Aerodactyl again. Hopefully it won't be knocked out easily." I laugh at how reliant Red's going to be on Aerodactyl during this match.

"For Porygon it'd be… Primeape, most likely. Unless Porygon changes types. That's just annoying." And annoying it will probably be.

"And last but not least, Ninetales, which, for again, will be Aerodactyl. I seriously need to get a more diverse team." Red laughs.

"Or Green needs to stop catching Pokémon that are weak to Rock." I laugh back.

"At least now you know which Pokémon to use against which. Although, you probably could've figured it out using common sense." I say.

"Attention participants! The final match will begin in five minutes! Please make your way to the arena immediately!" The voice over the intercom speaks.

"Well, I guess it's time." Red says.

"I guess it is." I wish him luck and he runs off to the arena. I wander around the reception area for a minute or two until I find Yellow and Delia, then head off to find out seats.

We take our seats and get settled, waiting for the match to begin.

"I… couldn't say this around Red, but… I'm scared for him." I confess.

"I know what you mean. I haven't really heard of these types of competitions much, but because of how everyone's been acting I can tell that they're really important." She says.

"Of course they are! They only happen once a year." Delia chirps in.

"And Red's in the finals. However, so is Green." We're silent until the battle's announced. Red and Green both take their places on the field and get ready to send out their Pokémon.

"It is now that I shall announce the beginning of the 9th annual Pokémon Kanto Regional Tournament's final match! Trainers, send out your Pokémon." Both Red and Green send theirs out at the same time, Green using Charizard to start out the match and Red using Venusaur. I'm now even more worried…

"Trainers, on the count of three, you may commence battling." The man says.

"One…" Red tenses up.

"Two…" Green smirks.

"Three!" Green commands Charizard to immediately fly into the air. Red orders Venusaur to use Vine Whip in an attempt to keep him grounded, but Charizard's too fast a flier.

"Venusaur, Ingrain!" Venusaur shoots its roots into the ground and begin absorbing the nutrients, strengthening the Pokémon.

"Charizard, dive!" Charizard swoops down with its claws stretched out, ready to strike. As soon as Charizard gets close enough it slashes at Venusaur, creating tears in the Pokémon's flower and roots.

"Venusaur, Grass Knot!" Venusaur has some of the remaining vines come to life and wrap themselves around Charizard, causing him to fall over. Charizard quickly burns the roots and rights itself, but not soon enough to dodge Venusaur's Double-Edge.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Charizard opens its mouth and lets loose a gigantic jet of flames, completely engulfing the plant.

"Venusaur, return!" Red switched out for Aerodactyl for an aerial assault.

"Aerodactyl, Rock Throw!" Aerodactyl picks up the largest rock it can find and hurls it at Charizard, tearing its wing. Charizard flies up and levels itself with Aerodactyl, however the damage caused by the tear is evident.

"Charizard, Dragon Rage!" Charizard opens its mouth again and this time, instead of an orange flame, a blue flame bursts forth and engulfs Aerodactyl in flames. Aerodactyl seems to take some damage, but it's nothing it can't handle.

"Aerodactyl, Ancientpower!" Aerodactyl raises the very ground itself, causing whatever happens to be strewn about to be lifted with it. Everything is then hurled at Charizard, causing it to lose his balance and start nose-diving towards the earth.

"Charizard, return!" Green takes back Charizard and sends out his second Pokémon, Golduck.

"Golduck, Hydro Pump!" Green commands Golduck to attack right off the bat, and out comes a torrent of water. Just before the water hits Aerodactyl, Red switched out for Venusaur. Somehow, Venusaur is still covered in flames from Charizard, but as soon as the Hydro Pump hits the flames are extinquished. Red's actually thinking strategy for once…

"Thanks!" Red shouts across the field. Green just scowls.

"Golduck, Confusion!" Golduck puts its fingers to its head and sends out an invisible wave that causes Venusaur to wobble a bit.

"Venusaur, snap out of it and use Petal Dance!" Aaannnddd there goes his strategy. Venusaur does snap out of the confusion, but then proceeds to spin around, scattering petals everywhere -how does Venusaur even spin?- and causes itself to become confused once again.

Golduck sustains major damage and jumps into the pool, just like Vaporeon did during Red's first match. The water causes a few of Golduck's injuries to be healed.

"Golduck, Zen Headbutt!" It races out of the water and aims directly for Venusaur.

"Venusaur, counter!" Venusaur begins charging towards Golduck as well, the collision causing both Venusaur and Golduck to be knocked out, Venusaur having taken injuries from Charizard not too long ago and Golduck having taken injuries from the Petal Dance.

Green switches out for Pidgeot while Red switches out for Aerodactyl.

"Pidgeot, Twister!" Pidgeot circles around Aerodactyl, its speeds becoming faster and faster until there's an actual twister surrounding Aerodactyl. The twister's high speeds cause Aerodactyl to flinch and not be able to move, as well as causing damage here and there.

"Aerodactyl! Break free of the wind!" Aerodactyl tries to fight off the high winds but is unable to do so. In the meantime, Pidgeot has readied an Air Slash and slices through both the wind and Aerodactyl, causing him to faint and be pulled around by the wind. Red takes him back and sends out Snorlax for now.

"Snorlax, Yawn!" Not this again… Snorlax yawns, causing Pidgeot and the audience, including myself, to become extremely tired. All I can make out for the rest of this matchup is Snorlax rolling on-top of Pidgeot's sleeping body, crushing it beneath his enormous weight. The yawn's worn off on Yellow, Delia, and I by this point and we're alert enough to hear Green send out Machamp.

"Machamp, Low Kick!" You know how the saying goes, right? The bigger they are, the harder they fall? Well, that's exactly how this situation turns out. Machamp stuck its foot under Snorlax's stomach and kicked him way into the sky. Snorlax flips over at the peak in its flight and comes crashing down into the ground, causing an OHKO.

"Snorlax, return!" Red returns Snorlax and sends out Primeape, making this matchup Fighting VS Fighting.

"Primeape, Karate Chop!" Primeape rushes towards Machamp and Green orders it to do the same. Both of the Pokémon begin hitting each other with their fists, having this turn into more of a Karate Competition rather than a Pokémon Competition. I grow bored of watching them hit each other and turn to Yellow.

"So, how do you think they're doing?" I ask her.

"Well, Red's lost only two Pokémon so far while Green's lost three. I know that it's nothing to go by yet, but… I have a feeling that Red might actually stand a chance against Green." She says.

"So do I. I just hope that Red doesn't make a blunder and costs himself the match…" I confess my worries.

The two Pokémon are still punching each other so now I take the time to turn to Delia.

"Red's come a long way, hasn't he?" She starts the conversation.

"Yeah, he has. I remember when I first met him in Pallet Town, how eager he was to start his journey. I really think the thing that got him started on that was getting me my first Pokémon. That's how we met Professor Oak. I'm really sorry about that." For stealing her son away from her. It sounds funny now that I think of it that way.

"Oh, don't worry about it! I'm glad you did. Red's being around you has really changed him for the better. He's learned how to trust people, he's learned how to not always charge head-first into things. Although, that's something about him that'll never change. Anyways, he's grown as a person in the several months you two have known each other. And you two are still only eleven years old!" She exclaims.

"Well, I'm actually ten." It's becoming natural for me now to say that I'm ten years old. I wonder if it'll ever _feel _natural…

"And one year at your age is the same as ten at mine! Oh, how different it must be to be so young." She says.

"I've had to go through things most kids my age would never have to. Same goes for Green and Red, and even more-so Blue." I explain.

"That is true… You know, I've also had my share of tragedies when I was younger. I've never told Red about any of them. He worries too much about me! I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself!" I highly doubt that.

"Oh, looks like the match is heating up." And heating up it is. Green's Machamp throws one last punch at Primeape and he's down. Red returns Primeape to his pokéball and sends out Poliwrath, his second fighting type.

"Poliwrath, Psychic!" Poliwrath stands absolutely still and just stares at Machamp, its gaze intensifying with every second. Machamp appears to become more and more nervous as time goes on until eventually he collapses. I really need to research on how Psychic attacks work…

Green then loudly growls to himself as he returns Machamp. Angry Green is good. Angry Green means he's more likely to make mistakes. He sends out Scyther.

"Scyther, Fury Cutter!" Scyther dashes up to Poliwrath, its wings buzzing, and strikes once, twice, three times. Poliwrath is knocked backwards a bit after each strike, and after the third is knocked down.

"Hydro Pump!" Poliwrath turns his head towards Scyther while he's on the ground and blasts him away before he can get in a fourth strike. Poliwrath then has enough time to get up before Scyther's back and ready to strike again.

"Ice Beam!" Poliwrath shoots out a beam of pure ice that hits Scyther directly. Scyther becomes completely frozen by the beam and is unable to move. Poliwrath then goes in for the kill and uses Submission. He picks the frozen bug up, then slams it back into the ground, shattering both the ice and the bones of the poor Pokémon. Green growls even more.

"Return!" He takes back Scyther and sends out his final Pokémon, Porygon. My heart begins to race.

"Philippe, this is Green's last Pokémon! Red still has two left! He actually might win!" Yellow says extremely quickly. She must be as excited as I am.

"Porygon, Zap Cannon!" Porygon begins charging a huge ball of electricity in front of itself while Poliwrath is desperately trying to disrupt the attack before it can launch. Because of horrible luck, as soon as Poliwrath gets to Porygon the attack's finished and is launched, doing more damage than normal due to the proximity of the two Pokémon.

Poliwrath is now out and Red's down to one last Pokémon, just like Green. The moment he throws the pokéball and it opens, my heart sinks. The Pokémon that comes out lands in the water, revealing itself to be… Gyarados. It had to be Gyarados, huh? Poliwrath was knocked out in one hit due to electric being double, so what does that mean for Gyarados? Electric being quadrupled?

I sink back in my seat, Yellow taking notice.

"What's wrong?" She asks.

"Do you know what type Gyarados is?" I ask her, sighing.

"Yes, flying and water, why?" I give her a couple seconds until the realization hits her.

"Oh my…" She says to herself.

"Yes, oh you, oh me, oh us, oh him." I only hope that luck's on his side.

"Don't worry you two! Red's always got one or two tricks up his sleeve! And if not, he always manages to pull out just fine!" Delia tries to reassure us. It helps a little.

"Gyarados, Water Pulse!" Gyarados shoots out a short blast of water that hits Porygon. After the blast hits, Porygon's eyes begin to swirl in their sockets. I never knew that was possible… maybe because it's artificially made?

"Like I said, he always manages to pull out just fine, luck being on his side and what-not." Delia comments.

"Porygon, snap out of it and finish this with Zap Cannon!" Porygon looks around, spots Gyarados, and charges up a Zap Cannon. When he fires, it completely misses its target and dissipates into the wall.

"Porygon, focus!" Green shouts at his Pokémon.

"Gyarados, Ice Fang!" The water-snake swims up next to Porygon, stretches its neck and bites it. Hard. Even from where I am I can hear the cracking of Porygon's body, the fangs sinking deeper and deeper in. Eventually Gyarados pulls out, and inside the cracks that were made is ice. Red looks a little shocked at himself.

"I never knew Red could take it that far…" Delia mumbles to herself. I don't think Red knew he could take it that far himself. Wasn't his fault, really.

"G-Gyarados, Hydro Pump!" Gyarados cranes its neck back, then releases a torrent of water on Porygon, knocking him into the air and crashing into the ground, worsening the cracks in its body. Porygon makes some weird noises, then falls silent.

"I never knew this world could be so violent…" I say to myself. Thankfully no one else heard it.

"And there you have it folks! The winner of the 9th Pokémon League... Red from Pallet Town!" The announcer says over the intercom. The crowd begins roaring and I'm suddenly overwhelmed, not for myself, but for Red. He's been training ever since I met him for this day, maybe even before that, and he's finally made it. He's finally won the Pokémon League…

I make my way through the stands and out into the empty reception area, wanting to get away from the crowd and all the noise. Yellow and Delia follow behind me.

"That was something, wasn't it?" Delia says.

"Yeah… I still can't believe Red actually won. With the odds stacked against him and what-not." I agree.

"So, do we just wait here until everyone else comes out?" I ask.

"Oh, no, no. We aren't going to do that. Since I'm Red's mother and all, I get special privileges! Even if I don't, that's not going to stop me!" Delia starts walking towards the door that Red walked through not an hour ago, leading to the ground floor of the arena. Yellow and I quickly chase after her.

"Delia! Wait!" I shout after her. She just continues to ignore me and follows the tunnel leading to the arena. As we approach the light I can see the outline of a person, Red, walking towards us. At least we won't have to go out in front of all of those people.

"Red, you did amazing!" Delia shouts as she runs up to hug him.

"Yeah, I really did…" He mumbles.

"Aw, honey, what's wrong?" Delia asks.

"It's nothing." He tries to brush it to the side, but we all know better.

"Alright. Well, how about you go and celebrate with Philippe and Yellow?" Now's the time for me to freak out. Since when did Delia know Yellow's name?! And, now that I think about it… Didn't she say Yellow's earlier as well? My mind is in shambles as I try to think of a logical explanation to this.

"Philippe, you're spacing out." Delia says, snapping me back to reality.

"Ah, I guess I was." I say, blushing like always.

"Don't worry about it. Just try to catch up with Red and Yellow!" There she goes again, knowing her name. I turn around and see Red and Yellow walking away and run to catch up.

"So, looks like someone's decided to join us." Red says.

"Sorry, didn't know what came over me back there. By the way… Red, why'd you seem so upset back there?" I ask.

"It's just… Green's Porygon. How could that happen to it?" So our suspicions were correct.

"Red, don't worry about it. Things like that are supposed to happen in battles; that's what Pokémon Centers are for, right? To make Pokémon feel better?" I say, trying to make _him_ feel better.

"I guess you're right. Still, I feel kinda guilty." And that's only natural, Red.

"Don't worry about it. Green may be a jerk, but he's sure not to let his Pokémon suffer." Red gives a little laugh.

"You're right on that." We continue walking until we get to the reception area where we're greeted by a huge crowd, asking Red for autographs, and some even with cameras asking for an interview.

"Get away from the Champion!" Delia comes barging in.

"If I had known that you'd be swarmed, I never would've let you out of my sights!" But, isn't it obvious that he'd be swarmed…?

"Mom, you don't have to do this!" Red shouts. At the word "Mom" everyone focuses on Delia.

"You're the Champion's mother?!" One of the members of the crowd shouts. They all begin ask her about her son, leaving the three of us ignored. Delia winks at us, letting us know that it's time to escape.

Once we're out of the building we give a sigh.

"Red... is your mom _always _like this? Overdramatic and such? The way she acts... it's as if she's from a drama!" I exclaim.

"I think she really wanted to be an actress when she was younger." Red jokes. He then sighs once more.

"I never knew that being Champion would be such hard work." Red says.

"If you think that was bad, just wait until we hit the cities. _Everyone _will be flocking you. It'll take some time for everything to die down; I mean, you _are_ the youngest Champion ever." I compliment.

"So, what do we do now?" Yellow asks.

"I… haven't really given it much thought." Red says to himself.

"Neither have I… I mean, we've always been running around to one place or another, trying to catch Team Rocket or earn another badge. Even filling the PokéDex had us going all over the place." Red's face holds a look of shock at the mention of the PokéDex.

"The PokéDex! I forgot it back in Virdian! Oh… Professor Oak is gonna kill me!" He starts panicking. I laugh and pull out the device mentioned and gives me a look of awe.

"You… have the PokéDex?" He asks me.

"You never forgot it, Red. I've had it all this time. I knew you'd probably leave it if I left it with you, which by the looks of things you probably would have, so I kept it." I laugh and now it's time for him to blush.

"Uh… your faces keep getting red a lot. Are you two sick?" Yellow comments from out of nowhere. Red's face turns even redder while mine's doing the same.

"I-it's nothing!" Red says, trying to convince her.

"Oh, alright." Ah, poor, innocent Yellow. I… am I really falling for her tricks myself? She's my rival for Red! I'm supposed to be hating her!

"But, Yellow's right." I say, trying to change the topic.

"What _are _we going to do now that the League's over?" I ask.

"Well, probably just go back to Pallet Town, I guess. Maybe continue training." Red suggests.

"Maybe? Of course you're going to continue training! Red, if you want to retain your status as Champion, you're going to have to continue training to be even stronger than you are now! People are going to come from far and wide to challenge you, trying to take your title from you! Wouldn't it be embarrassing if you lost your first match as Champion?" I shout.

"I get it, I get it. I have to train." He says.

"Phew! I finally got rid of the last of them!" Delia says as she walks out the door.

"Oh, Red? You forgot this." She hands him the Championship League trophy. I wonder how in the world he could've forgotten that?

"You're always forgetting such important things, Red!" She exclaims.

"I am not!"

* * *

As I lay on the bed inside of the League building, I wonder to myself. I've been here for how many months? Six? Seven? Yet… it's felt like just yesterday that I was falling through Viridian forest, just on the outskirts of Pallet Town. It feels like just yesterday that I met Red for the first time. Before all this, I kept telling myself that my life was boring because it hadn't really begun yet. Well, I guess I can't say that anymore. My life _has _begun. My life with Red. My life with Pokémon. I don't know _why _I'm here, or for what reason. Mew hasn't really been specific on that. The only thing that I _do _know is… I have a pretty good feeling that I'm going to be sticking around for a long time. And I like that.


	35. Home Sweet Home

Author's Note:

Sorry for the short chapter; I promise the next one will be longer. And for those of you wondering if I'd continue this or not, of course I will! Like I said in the very beginning, I hope not to be one of those people who starts something, then just quits half way through.

Disclaimer:

I do not own Pokémon. Nintendo does.

* * *

"So, this is what it feels like…"

"This is what what feels like?"

"Being home."

It took us a while, but we've finally made it back to Pallet Town. Now that we're here... it really feels like it's been forever since the journey began. Being dropped by Mew, crashing down, and meeting Red. All of that feels like forever ago.

"I guess you're right. I've never been gone for such a long time in my life… Really, I've never been gone period. I've always stayed right here, at home. Although I'll miss our adventures, it's good to be back." Red states.

We both walk into the house, Delia following behind us. We dropped Yellow off in Viridian with the ones who take care of her, much to her disappointment. She wanted to stay with us, but we couldn't do that to her. Even if she'd be better off with us. Mew said it was a good thing to do, wanting to keep to the mainstream, but to me it was more "Keep her as far away from Red as possible." I guess I'll never really get over that, heh…

"So!" Red shouts, putting his hands on his hips.

"Now that everything's settled and done with, I can really introduce you to your new home!" Red and Delia have agreed to let me stay with them for a while. I haven't told them that I don't have any other place to go, so they just think that it's temporary. Which, really, it is. I hate to admit it, but… Sooner or later, the letter's going to come in and Yellow and I will have to start _our_ journey.

"I'd like that a lot." I say. He shows me around the two rooms downstairs, the kitchen/living room and the bathroom. I'm still wondering where Delia sleeps… If Red sleeps in his room, that would leave the kitchen-living-room room to her. Does she sleep on the couch? My mind hurts…

"Red, where does your mom sleep?" I build up enough courage to ask.

"Don't ask. I've tried to, but she's never told me." He says. He brings me back upstairs, where I slept the last time I was here, to his room.

"I don't really think you saw much the last time you were here. We just came here to sleep and eat before leaving again, right?" Red asks.

"Yeah. We stopped by just for a rest, then went to Saffron." We both cringe at the name, knowing what memories lie there.

"Well, there's nothing much more than what you saw, but I'd still like to show you around." He shows me his dresser and his closet, both of which combined contain a grand total of two different outfits. His day outfit, the outfit he's wearing right now, is on one half, and his night outfit, which is basically a much more comfortable version of his day outfit, on the other. They both look so alike that I must've thought they were the same last time. But, really. Get some variety.

"Aren't you tired of wearing the same outfit day in and day out?" I ask.

"Nope. And why are you asking? You do the same thing!" He exclaims.

"That's because we were traveling the entire time! There was no need for one outfit! Besides, how would we have carried them all?" I ask.

"I'm now terrified by how many outfits you might own…" One, if we're talking about just on this planet.

"I don't really know myself." I say.

"Anyways, besides the closet and dresser, all that's really left to show is the T.V., the Nintendo 64, the bed, and… that's pretty much it. It's a sad room, I know." I'm a bit shocked at the fact that Nintendo's even on this world. That now raises another question… Which came first? Pokémon or Nintendo? Something to think about, I guess.

"I kind of like it. It's nowhere near as messy as mine." I compliment.

"Not for long!" We hear a shout from downstairs.

"Looks like mom's finally made it in…" Red grumbles to himself.

"I heard that! Remember! I'm the one who had to lug in your trophy!" But… she was the one who didn't want to hand it to Red…

"That's no excuse!" Red shouts back.

"What did you just say?!" Uh-oh…

"Nothing!" Good boy.

I decide to let Pikachu out to explore what will be his home for the next several months. He scampers around, across Red's floor and his bed, curling up and falling asleep immediately.

"Awww…" Delia says from the doorway.

"Mom! Haven't you heard of knocking?" Red shouts.

"And haven't you heard of a lock?" Buuurnnnn.

Red just continues staring at his mom, and she does the same. They go at it for a couple minutes, so I turn my attention to Pikachu. I get up on the bed and curl around the mouse and stay there until the two arguing finally take notice.

"Should we do something?" Red whispers.

"Yes, you should. Go to sleep!" Delia whispers, although much louder than Red.

"But Philippe's taking up most of the bed, along with Pikachu!" Red complains.

"Then curl around him." She simply states. Red looks at her oddly for a couple of seconds, then sighs. I guess Delia usually has her way.

Red makes his way to the bed and slips in under the covers, moving the rest of his body out of the way of Pikachu and I, ending up half on, half off the bed.

"Not what I had in mind, but ok." I hear Delia say to herself as she walks out of the room.

"Typical mom. Always doing these kinds of things. You're not asleep yet, are you Philippe?" Red asks.

"Nope. Just didn't want to hear you two arguing. Even if it only started as a staring contest." I don't like people yelling.

"Don't worry; it's normal for us to yell at each other. It just shows that we care about each other." Red explains.

"Then you must care about Green a _lot_." I tease, although I can't believe I just said that. Red starts to sputter and I just laugh to myself.

"Alright. Well, your mom's right about one thing. You might not have noticed, but it's actually been a while since we arrived home. It's already dark outside, and it's getting darker. How about we go to sleep?" I suggest.

"Alright. But, I'd like to ask one favor of you." He says.

"What is it?" I question.

"Could you please get from the foot of my bed to under the covers? It's really uncomfortable." And so I do. I crawl over to the head of the bed, crawl under the covers, and close my eyes. I feel just like I did back in the Pokémon Center those many months ago, and fall asleep quickly.

* * *

"So, how's life been treating you?"

"I've decided that as long as my life isn't in danger, it's perfect." Back home I'd be nitpicky about every single detail of my life, but now I'm just glad to be alive. The last time I spoke with Mew was right after the entire thing with the Viridian Gym, what with me being busy due to the Championships, so it feels nice to have a chance to speak with her again.

"Mew, can you believe that it's been close to a year since we first spoke with each other?" Mew was the first person I had ever spoken to after being dropped off here; really, _before _being dropped off here. She was the one to make sure that I wouldn't die immediately after arriving.

"No, no I can't. It feels like just yesterday that I was watching you while you slept in this very bed!" …That doesn't sound stalkerish at all.

"Anyways, looks like you've survived past the first part of your journey!" She congratulates me.

"It sounds like you weren't expecting me to." I accuse.

"Well, considering that I've never done this before, I really didn't know what the outcome would be. Whether you'd live or die, that is." Great, _now _she tells me.

"So, do you think I'll have more or less of a chance to survive with Yellow?" I ask.

"More of a chance than she has of surviving with you." She jokes

"Seriously… why do I have to be paired with her? Of all people, why her?" I mumble to myself.

"Because that's just how the story goes. Speaking of story… it's been a while since I last spoke to you about history. Do you want to hear some more?" She asks.

"Sure, it's been a while since you've last said anything about the subject. Speaking of which… why is that?" It's been, what? A couple of months since she's last spoken about it.

"Would you honestly have liked it if I had asked you if you had wanted to learn while almost being killed in the Silph Tower, almost being killed by Giovanni, almost losing Red as a best friend, and while Red was fighting Green in the finals? I don't think so." She has a point… a lot has been going on in these past months.

"Point taken. Anyways, I have no idea where you left off. Could you refresh my memory?" I ask.

"Sure. Basically, it was about the Guardians interfering with life on the planet after everything had been created. I had said we Legendaries were furious with the Guardians for doing so, but kind of stopped there. The reason why we were furious is because they were giving an advantage to the humans over our creations, the Pokémon. Although it wasn't a written rule that neither side was allowed to interfere, it was rude of them to do so without consulting us first. I mean, we _both _worked on bringing this planet to life!" She sighs.

"What the Guardians had done that infuriated us the most was create the one object that gave humans power over Pokémon: the pokéball. At first, there was only the pokéball, the basic, standard pokéball that you have today. Later on the humans began developing better and more accurate ones, but I'll stop there for now. Philippe, you remember the pokéball that I gave you a long time ago? That was one of the first pokéballs ever created. Some may even say that it _is_ the first pokéball ever created, by the Guardians themselves. And by some, I mean we. No one's really sure if it is or not. I just thought that it'd help you out on your journey." Now I understand why she gave it to me… Well, not really. But, if it's to help, who am I to complain?

"That was the first in a long series of events that created more and more hostilities between us. First it was the pokéball, then… Nevermind. I'll be true to my word and stop there. I'll tell you more later. We still have quite a while before we have to say goodbye, don't we?" …Goodbye?

"What do you mean, 'goodbye?'" I ask.

"Well, we have quite a while before you have to leave with Yellow, and when you do you still have quite a while before you're heading off for Gold, Silver, and Crystal. When you do, I'll be handing you off to Celebi. Didn't I tell you this before?" That's right… I'll be handed off to a different Legendary for each region I enter. Which means it won't be goodbye for good; I'll be returning here for a little while after I'm done with everything in Hoenn!

"Yeah… Even if you don't finish telling me everything I need to know, can't Celebi finish it up? And if _Celebi _can't finish, then Jirachi can." I suggest.

"Yeah! But, I'd like to be the one to tell you all you need to know." Aww, how sweet.

"So, I guess that's it for now." She ends.

"Yeah. I find it odd how time seems to move much quicker while I'm with you… When I leave, I'll be waking up in the real world. It feels like only ten minutes have gone by while in reality, it's been several hours." I comment.

"Time for us Legendaries is nothing when you've been living as long as we have." She says. There's something about the way she said that that makes me feel like something's off, but I don't question it. Mew waves her hand and I begin to feel dizzy, eventually waking up.

"Philippe, would you mind getting off of me?" Are the first words I hear as I begin to open my eyes. Once my eyes are fully open, I see that I'm half laying on top of Red, squishing him.

"I'm sorry, but I can't control my actions while I sleep." I answer.

"Could you at least try to?" Red says from underneath.

"Red, do you honestly know what you're saying?" I say.

"Probably not, but it'd help if you'd get off so the circulation could get to my brain." At least he can still joke.

I get off of him and off of the bed, as does he.

"Well, that was one of the best night's sleep I've ever had." I tease.

"Same for me. We haven't really slept in a real bed since… Before going to Saffron." Such a long time ago…

"You two are finally up! I was wondering how long you'd be sleeping!" Was she watching us this entire time?

"Mom! I shouldn't even be surprised." Red laughs.

"Aw… it's no fun when you're not surprised! At least Philippe's not used to it." She grins.

"Philippe, is something wrong?" Red asks. During their exchange, my eyes had started watering. I've just… never been in a room where I've felt so wanted.

"Ah… it's nothing. Anyways, I'm hungry!" I exclaim. They both drop it and follow me downstairs.

"So, what would you two like?" Delia asks.

"You know what I want, mom." Red grins.

"I'll take whatever he's taking." I add.

"Alright! I'll be back in a bit!" She twirls around and heads to the kitchen.

"Red? Can I ask you a question?" I speak after moments of silence.

"Sure. What is it?"

"Is this what people call, 'Normal?' It's been so long that I can't even remember what it is! We've been running around Kanto for almost a year, and everything's been anything but. I just wish life could be like this forever…" I know that it'll all come to an end soon, but… it'd be nice to live like this for a while.

"Yeah. This _is_ nice. Not having to chase around bad guys, not having a deadline to keep. I mean, getting all eight badges in a year is hard! It takes some people multiple years to do that!" Not Sapphire.

"At least now we can just relax." I slump in my chair.

"So, what _is _your favorite food?" I ask.

"…You mean, you didn't know what it was when you asked for it?" He says incredulously.

"Why the look?"

"I don't really think you'd like it is all." He chuckles.

"Should I be worried?" I think I should.

"Probably." Yep, I should.

"It's done!" Delia shouts as she walks in. She lays a plate of rice balls on the table.

"It's not really that they're 'bad,' it's more so that they're 'plain.'" Red says as he takes one.

I decide to try one myself and take a bite. He's right; they're not as flavorful as most of the other things that I've eaten, but they're not half bad. I take another and he stares at me.

"You… actually like them?" He asks.

"Yeah. They're not bad, actually." I take another bite.

"I've never seen anyone like them as much as Red does. Interesting…" Delia says to herself.

Once we've both finished eating, we thank Red's mom for the meal, then exit the house.

"So, what do you wanna do?" Red asks.

"I don't know… I mean, before, we've known what we had to do, but now…" I start. We've always had a set path lain out for us. Get the eight badges, stop Team Rocket. Now, we have nothing and it just feels weird!

"But now… we can do whatever we want to, right?" He finishes.

"Yeah… Whatever we want to."


	36. The Letter

Author's Note:

Sorry for yet another short chapter; this time, I promise, promise that the next one will be longer. And sorry for it being two weeks this time; this was my first real case of writer's block. Next chapter will come quicker, I promise.

Disclaimer:

Last time I'm putting this; just gonna change the summary. I don't own Pokémon or anything related to it. Nintendo does.

* * *

So, after the… who knows how long amount of time, not much had gone on. The only things worth mentioning, really, are evolutions. Pikachu stayed the same; I'm not letting him evolve, only because that'd probably mess up the entire universe or something. Pikachu. Aren't. Meant. To. Evolve. Cubone's still a Cubone, but he's much more mature than before. Gengar's still his playful self, helping me pull off pranks on both Delia and Red. Dratini evolved into a Dragonair; wonder how much longer until she's a Dragonite… She hasn't been getting much training, neither have the others, since we haven't been traveling that often. If we were training as much as we were for the League, she'd be a Dragonite by now and it'd be so much easier traveling from town to town!

For Red, there wasn't any evolving at all since his Pokémon are all already at the final stage. Except for Eevee, however, it didn't evolve either. He did, however, give back Gyarados to Misty. I miss Gyarados…

Delia's been her normal self the entire time; always trying to embarrass Red in front of me, and me in front of Red. Come to think of it… it seems as if she's trying to get Red and I together herself. Which would be very, very strange, considering her son's only 11 and the guy she's trying to get him with is only 10. What's even stranger, to me, at least, is that she's trying to get us together while we're both _male._ Now, I do love Red, but it's just… his _mom _trying to pair us together? Now _that's _strange.

All in all, not much has changed over the duration I've been living with Red. That was all about to change…

* * *

"Red! Wait up!" I shout, trying to catch up. Red and I were racing our Pokémon and ourselves. Red and Poliwrath were way ahead of Pikachu and I. Since this was a friendly race, a little sabotage wouldn't hurt… I have Pikachu send out a spark towards both Red and Poliwrath, stunning them for a second.

"Philippe! What was that for?" Red shouts back.

"You never said anything about attacks!" I tease, now taking the lead.

"Well, fine!" Red has Poliwrath shoot a Water Gun towards us, knocking us both off balance.

"At least I didn't use an attack!" Seriously, we could've been hurt!

"Thunder Wave is too an attack!" Drat, he's right.

"Well, in that case, Shock Wave!" Pikachu sends out a ball of electricity towards both Red and Poliwrath, them narrowly dodging the attack.

"Poliwrath, Hydro Pump!" This time Poliwrath stops moving altogether and aims his mouth towards us, then releases a huge torrent of water. Pikachu and I have to leap out of the way to dodge the blast. How did this turn from a race to a battle?

"Pikachu, Thunder!" Pikachu sends a huge amount of electric energy towards Poliwrath, with the water-type easily dodging it.

"Poliwrath, Rain Dance!" Red, Red, Red.

"Pikachu, Thunder again!" This time, Pikachu sends the electric energy into the sky, the Thunder being absorbed by the clouds. The clouds turn a blackish color, then sends the energy back down to Poliwrath, hitting him directly.

"Rain Dance might increase water's power, but it also increases Thunder's accuracy! I know you know that Red, so why'd you let me win?" I've had him all figured out for a while. Since he's the Champion, of course he'd be able to beat me easily. However, he's been letting me win more often than not during our little battles.

"I did not let you win!" He shouts from across the field.

"Yes you did. You've been letting me win all this time! If it's to not kill my self-esteem, as low as it already is, it won't! You're the Champion; I know I don't have a chance against you." I explain.

"Well, you were doing well against me before the League!" He tries to argue.

"Keyword there: 'before.' You weren't as strong as you were during, and especially not after, the League when I beat you. _And _you were still making stupid mistakes!" So many mistakes…

"That is true… Fine! You win!" He gives in. He's been doing that often lately. Either I've gotten better at manipulating people, or he's just not wanting to argue with me anymore. Which I do a _lot._

"Now that the battle's over, what do we do now?" I ask.

"I have no idea. How about-" He stops and turns around.

"Philippe, do you hear that?" He asks.

"No not at all. Why?" I have a bad feeling about this…

"I hear someone screaming from over there." He points. I start to hear the voice as well.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!" Cries a man on a rampaging Ponyta. I guess it's that time already. Red sends out Venusaur and has him wrap the Ponyta with Vine Whip, keeping him in place. The man's thrown off of the Pokémon and comes hurtling towards us, Red and I quickly positioning ourselves to catch him. We're both knocked over.

"Owwww… Thanks…" The man says.

"No problem! Now, why do you think your Ponyta went crazy like that?" Red asks, getting up and tearing the vines from the Pokémon.

"I don't know! One minute she was fine, the next… well, you saw!" Yes, yes we did.

"Well, it's best not to worry about the past. Say, what're you doing here anyways?" Red asks.

"Oh, I don't know. By the look of his uniform and the mailbag, I'd say…" I start.

"Shut up." I win!

"Are you two from Pallet Town?" The mailman asks.

"Yeah, both of us are!" Red exclaims.

"Then, you two wouldn't happen to know a guy named 'Red,' would you? I have a letter here addressed to him." He asks.

"Well, I guess we know him…" Red starts, grinning.

"And here we go again…" I sigh.

"Because Red of Pallet Town is me!" He shouts triumphantly.

"W-what?! You're the winner of the Pokémon League Tournament?!" The man shouts incredulously.

"Yes, yes I am! So, thanks for the letter!" Red runs off.

"I'm so sorry about that. He can get a little… carried away." I apologize to the mailman before dashing off after Red.

* * *

"So, what's the letter say?" I ask when I finally catch up with him.

"It's a challenge request. I've never had one of these mailed to me… They usually come right on down to Pallet Town!" Which has been many, many times.

"Who's it from?" I ask. It's obviously as to who, but I can't let him know that I know, as with a lot of things lately.

"There's a signature here at the bottom, but I can't read it. Oh! It also has a location. Somewhere in northwest Kanto. It even has a map!" He exclaims.

"Looks sketchy if you ask me…" I caution

"Well, if it's from a challenger I can't say no! That'd be just rude." Red says.

"They're the ones being rude! If they really wanted to battle you then they should've came here themselves!" I exclaim.

"Philippe, why are you so against me meeting this person?" Red asks questioningly.

"I just don't want you putting your life in danger for no reason. You get a random letter from a random person, asking to meet you in a random location for a battle. All of that just screams trap!" I shout.

"Philippe, calm down! Nothing's going to happen!" Red tries to calm me.

"You know, I don't really have a say in this. You're going to do whatever you were planning on doing from the start. I just don't want you to be able to say I didn't try when things go wrong." I sigh.

"Philippe, you're making me feel guilty for wanting to go now." Red whines.

"So, does this mean you're not going to go?" I ask hopefully.

"Nope!"

* * *

"Delia, please talk some sense into him!" I beg her. When Red and I got back to his house, he ran straight upstairs and began packing, while I started begging Delia to not let him go.

"You know as well as I do that that's downright impossible." She says.

"But you're his mother! You have to have _some _authority over him!" She just laughs at this.

"Not really. In the past, I've tried to keep Red from doing dangerous stuff. It just doesn't work; he'll have to eventually learn the hard way." And it might just cost him his life in the process.

"I'm done packing!" Red calls from upstairs.

"Red, I'm going to regret this, but I'm just going to have to accept the fact that you're going." I say.

"Good thing you realized that before I left!" He grins.

"So I'm just going to have to go with you!" Both Red and Delia stare in shock.

"Philippe, you can't be serious!" Red exclaims.

"Yes, I am. If you're going to go meet this guy, then I'm just gonna have to go with you! You know as well as I do that we work better together." It's usually just me saving his life, but meh.

"Philippe, I don't think that's such a good idea…" Delia warns me.

"Why not? We'd be safer by going together." Why does she not want me going with him? My logic makes sense… kinda.

"Just, trust me on this. It'd be better if Red went to face this man on his own. I mean, it'd be odd if the Champion had someone else accompanying him to a match! All of the previous matches Red's had on his own; why would someone suddenly join him? It'd make it look like Red didn't trust people." Delia has a point…

"Fine! I won't go with him! Just… don't blame me if anything happens!"


	37. Return of Yellow

Author's Note:

I hope this is fast enough for you; under 24 hours seems to be good. Hopefully now I'll be able to get back into the swing of things and write more often. I reaaaally don't want to have two weeks go by without an update again. Anyways, read, review, etc.

* * *

"I knew this would happen! I told you not to let him go!"

"Calm down!"

Red's been gone for over a month and there's been no message, no letter, no anything from him! I knew that they'd get him if I let him go on his own, I knew it! If only I could've warned Delia about it, then there'd be no way she would've let him go!

"Why should I calm down? My best friend's been missing for a month and no one has any idea where he is!" I continue shouting.

"Philippe, Red knows how to take care of himself now! He's not that little kid you first met in Pallet Town two and a half years ago!" Was it really two and a half years ago?

"I don't care! A month is way more than enough to have gotten wherever it was he was going, battle, and get back! What could have possibly taken him a month to accomplish?' My screaming still isn't letting up. In fact, it's getting even louder!

"Philippe, if you're this worried about Red, why don't you go see Professor Oak? If anyone knows anything about his whereabouts, it has to be him. Maybe he has a chip in his PokéDex? I don't know." Note to self: Chip Red.

"I guess you're right… Bye." I say, heading out the door. I'm a bit calmer now, knowing that I at least have a lead, but I'm still scared for him… It's been two and a half years since I landed here, so my memory from the story's almost completely faded. This part I remember completely, but that's mainly because I've been dreading it ever since Red won the League.

I make it to the Professor's Lab and knock on the door. There's no response, so I test the doorknob to find that it's unlocked. As soon as I walk in I find Oak talking with someone.

"Could you please stop shouting? I've told you time and time again, I haven't seen him since he got that challenge!" Oak shouts over the phone.

"You have to expect these things, Misty. Now that Red's the champion, he's bound to get challenges all the time. Everyone wants to have a piece of the youngest Champion ever!" Not if I have anything to do with it…

"Didn't I just say that I haven't seen him since he got the challenge? That means that no, I haven't seen him over the past month. Neither has anyone in Pallet Town! If you think you're worried, then how do you think Delia or Philippe are taking this?" I take it as my cue to cut in.

"Actually, Delia's taking it rather calmly." I say. Oak turns around and smiles at me.

"I was wondering how she was doing. And how about you?" He asks.

"Much worse. I think you're right; I'm worse than Misty when it comes to worrying about Red." I comment.

"Well, you sure don't seem worried right now." Touché.

"I let it all out while yelling at Delia a couple minutes ago." He nods and gets back to his conversation with Misty.

"Ah, sorry, Misty. Philippe just walked in. Do you want to worry about Red with him? You two should have a lot to talk about." Yes, we both know how much of an idiot Red can be sometimes.

"Misty, how's it been?" I start the conversation off, taking the phone from Oak.

"Not much. How's life been with Delia and Red? That is, before he left." She asks.

"Much simpler than the life we were living before. Much calmer, much more relaxed. Until he left, of course. I was against it from the very start; a random person asking Red for a battle? A random person asking Red for a battle, asking him to meet him at a location _he _specified? How shady does that sound?" I shout, my voice rising again.

"It was from a complete stranger?! I thought Red was ignorant, but not stupid!" At least _someone _agrees with me.

"Everyone's telling me to calm down, but I can't! It's been a month; it shouldn't have taken him a month to get there, battle, and get back!" I replay what I had said to Delia earlier.

"And you shouldn't; he's your friend! You should be worried! You- Huh? Oh, sorry, Philippe. I have to go. Gym duties and whatnot." We say our goodbyes and hang up.

"So, how was your little chat with Misty?" Oak asks once I've put the phone away.

"It was good. At least _someone _agrees with me on fearing the worst." Oak just shakes his head.

"Philippe, Red's the Champion. It'd take a lot for something to happen to him!" And that's just what I'm afraid of…

"Professor, do you still have the letter the person sent Red?" I ask out of the blue.

"Yes, but, why?" He asks, rummaging through his desk.

"I'd just like to see the map. Get a sense of how long it should've taken him." That probably would've been the best thing to do before spazzing out like that…

"Alright. Here it is." He hands me the letter and I go through the map inside. It seems as if the location of the meeting spot would be approximately where the-

Something grabs both Oak's and my attention. A loud crack at the door. The doorknob begins to glow with a yellow light, with electricity jumping all around.

"Now, I wonder what that could be?" Oak says to himself. He's noticed the electricity as well and gets a pair of rubber gloves, then opens the door. And on the other side is a sight I know I will never forget…

"Pikachu!"

I had insisted on Red taking Pikachu right before he left, knowing that he'd need it for this. I just wasn't expecting the mouse to be so hurt…

"Philippe, get Pikachu back inside of its ball now!" Oak shouts.

"But I gave the ball to Red! I thought he should take Pikachu with him!" I shout back.

"Philippe, I know I shouldn't be telling you this, really, anyone, but… For a Pokémon Trainer, any ball can be used to call back a Pokémon! The original is used only for trading!" His words rang true when I picked up a random, empty pokéball from his desk and returned Pikachu, the mouse being sucked inside. I give the ball to Oak and he places it on the recovery machine.

"Philippe, if you gave Red Pikachu… then where is he?" Do you think that if I knew I'd be standing here?!

"See? This is what I was talking about!" I shout, my anger from earlier returning.

"I told you that Red shouldn't go alone! I told you that Red shouldn't have gone in the first place! Just look at Pikachu! Look at how hurt he is! And just imagine how Red is!" I shout, eyes watering.

"Philippe, calm down. Everything's going to be alright." Oak says, trying to calm me.

"'Alright?' 'Alright?!' That's what grownups always say! 'Everything's going to be alright, just calm down.' Things are never just 'Alright!' I'm not a kid! I never have been! I've been forced to grow up at the hands of Team Rocket, so I know nothing's ever 'Alright!'" I scream. Oak just sighs.

"I guess you're right… Sometimes I've forgotten everything that you two have gone through together. You're not a kid anymore; you've matured enough to know the truth. You're right; things _aren't _alright, and I don't know if they'll ever alright. All we know is that Pikachu's alive and safe." That's a relief…

"One more thing… I know that it's terrible of me to be saying this at a time like this, but… If Pikachu returning to us in such a state is any indication of what occurred with Red during his battle… Then it's only safe to assume that Red was defeated by his opponent." Yes, that would be the correct answer.

"You mean by Bruno?" Oak's eyes widen slightly at the name.

"And how do you know who Red was challenged by?" He asks suspiciously.

"You honestly don't think that I wouldn't look over his shoulders while he was reading the letter, do you? Of course I would! Red couldn't read the signature, but I was able to. I didn't look at the map, however; I didn't think it'd be as important as it is now." I explain.

"Alright, I understand. The thing I don't understand, however, is… who exactly is this 'Bruno' guy? And how is he strong enough to have beaten Red?" Oak asks.

"Well-" I start, then am interrupted by a knock at the door. Oak opens it and in comes Yellow.

"Heya! Did you happen to see a Pikachu come by lately?" She asks.

"Look who it is." I say.

"I knew you'd come back!" She says, running to the pokéball.

"If you know that Pikachu would be back, then you also know what's happened with Red, right?" Shouldn't your first question be, "Who are you and how do you know Pikachu?"

"Yeah. I was worried about both of them. I knew that since Red was in danger, Pikachu would come back to warn someone about him." She explains.

"That makes no sense, though! I told Pikachu specifically to stay with Red no matter what, to make sure that nothing happened to him! I even said I was worried that something like this might happen…" I say.

"Umm… why did you tell Pikachu to stay with him? Isn't Pikachu Red's?" …What? Alright, why is she acting stupid all of a sudden?

"No, Pikachu's Philippe's." Oak corrects.

"Oh, so your name's Philippe?" Honestly, I have no idea what's going on with this girl right now.

"Of course it's Philippe! We've met before!" I shout.

"You don't have to be so loud! And no, I can honestly say we haven't met before. I would've remember you if we had!" I'm starting to think she doesn't want people to know we know each other… Which is fine by me. I honestly wish I _didn't _know her.

"Hm… Maybe you're right. Could just be my memory playing tricks on me. So, what's your name?" I ask.

"My name's Yellow. Nice to meet you!" She sticks out her hand. I ignore it and turn back to Oak.

"So, if Yellow says that he knew Pikachu was going to come back if anything had happened to Red, then he obviously knows Red, right?" I say.

"Yeah. My only question is… how did Yellow know what Red was going to be in danger?" Let's see how she gets herself out of this one…

"I know Red and I'm a friend of Red's, right? Of course I'd know if he was gone for a month without any sign of him!" Good excuse…

"Oak, now I'm going to say this. I know you might not like this, but… Yellow and I are both his friends, right? Friends should look out for one another. Therefore, we're going to look for him." I turn around quickly and walk out the door before he can say no.

* * *

"So you're leaving me too, huh? I knew this would eventually happen…" Delia sighs. She's making it seem like _I'm _her son as well. It feels nice… Anyways, I thought it'd be nice to let her know we're leaving before we actually do, just so she doesn't freak out about _me _going missing before Oak tells her where we are.

"I really thought that she'd be more worried about Red after finding out what happened!" Yellow says as we're leaving.

"Yellow, can you please just stop talking? You made it seem like you didn't want to know me at all back there, and frankly, I don't really want to know you at all either." I say bluntly. She's taken aback and looks at me.

"Philippe, I didn't mean to be rude back there! It's just… someone told me that I should be very careful about who I should let know the truth about myself." She explains.

"Well, you didn't really try to hide your name that much. You practically blurted it out the first chance you got. If you really are trying to keep your identity a secret, then try not to give out your name to every person we meet." She's silent after that.

We continue walking north to into Viridian Forest, heading in the direction of the X on the map.

"So, this is where you saved me… It feels like such a long time ago." She says to herself.

"Yes, yes. And, just for the record, Red was the one who wanted to save you, not me." I say.

"Philippe, why are you being so mean?" Yellow asks, her voice becoming a little higher.

"I honestly wish I could tell you. At least then it wouldn't be a mystery anymore." And then I could _really _tell her how I felt.

"What have I done to you?" She continues.

"It's not what you've done to _me, _exactly. It's what you've done to those _around _me." The way she was acting towards Red those years ago… it only confirmed my suspicions that she has feelings for him. Which only intensified my hatred even further.

"What? What did I do?" She just won't let this go, will she?

"Just forget it. It's not important right now." She drops the conversation. For now.

"Uh… so… Philippe… how are your Pokémon doing?" Yellow asks after a couple of minutes of silence.

"Fine." I answer.

"How's Pikachu doing?" …Dammit! I had completely forgotten about Pikachu when I had my freak-out about Red! No matter what, I'm not leaving without him!

"Looks like you've realized. Well, look what I've got!" Yellow takes out a pokéball from her bag and hands it to me. I take it from her and realize that it's Pikachu's pokéball.

"Philippe, I know that you were worried about Red, but remember what you and Red told me? 'Be nice to your Pokémon and they'll be nice to you.' You have to care for both Red and Pikachu, as well as your other Pokémon." The student is becoming the teacher. Great.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. You don't have to remind me. I knew Pikachu would be in good care, so I wasn't really worried about him at the time." I put the ball back on my belt and we continue walking for a good couple of hours.

* * *

"Alright, I know my memory's a bit hazy, but I'm certain that Viridian Forest wasn't this large the last time I was here!" I yell in frustration. Seriously! We've been at this for hours, and we still haven't gotten through to the other side!

"Viridian Forest is like a maze. It's constantly moving and shifting, so you'll never know where you'll end up!"

"And you couldn't have told me that before? Then I would've been able to put up markers to track our previous locations and to prevent us from traveling around in circles!" I shout at her.

"Philippe, please stop shouting! Even though we're alone, it's scaring away all the Pokémon!" She pleads.

"Whatever. The only ones I care about are Red's and mine." I don't know why I always feel such hatred around her! It's not like I'm trying to be this mean, it's just… I'm so protective about Red, that whoever threatens what could be I automatically loathe!

"I'm tired… I'm gonna go sit down." I choose a nice looking rock and sit.

"Philippe, since we're going to be traveling with each other for a while, I think we should learn more about each other. You never did tell me what happened with you and Red before we met. I've only heard about what the public knows, mainly the Silph Building. Could you tell me what else happened?" I decide to tell her, only so she'll know how close Red and I had gotten over the course of our journey.

"Wow… Did all of that really happen?" She asks once I'm finished.

"Yeah. Every last bit of it."

"Even the part with Red crying over you?" I blush immensely at this, as do I with everything concerning our emotional moments.

"Yes, even that part." I say, turning away.

"Alright." We continue sitting there in silence until we hear a splash coming from a little ways away.

"Philippe, did you hear that?" Yellow exclaims.

"Yeah, I'm not deaf." I follow her as she gets up and leads me to a stream.

"I thought it came from here… Aha!" Yellow points to a spot in the water that seems disturbed. She then proceeds to take out a fishing rod from her bag and casts it into the water.

"What are you-" I start.

"Shhh! Let me concentrate!" Girl, you did _not _just "Shush" me!

A little while later there's a tug at her rod, and she pulls it back, revealing… Bill? Ok, I have absolutely no idea how this makes sense, and I'm not even going to try to figure it out. Anyways, Bill, now above surface, begins to swim towards the shore with Yellow pulling him along, when all of a sudden a gigantic Pokémon bursts through the water behind him. Looks like Seadra's come to join the party!

"Ahhhh!" Bill screams.

"Philippe, take care of that thing!" Of course, always me, saving people from certain doom. I send out Pikachu and have him zap the sea-dragon-thing, accidentally zapping Bill in the process. At least he didn't get hit with all of the force…

"Philippe!" Yellow scolds me.

"Don't worry about it. Bill's survived blasts from us before, isn't that right?" I say, extending my hand as Bill reaches the shore.

"That's right. You froze me solid the first time we met!" He laughs. Looks like he's gotten over his shock fairly quickly.

"So, how's it been?" I ask.

"Pretty good. Say, who's this new guy?" Bill asks, pointing to Yellow. It still feels weird having people refer to Yellow as a guy…

"Just another friend of Red's." I say.

"Speaking of Red… where is he?" I proceed to explain in complete detail what occurred at Oak's lab earlier today, and what I think happened with Red.

"So, basically, you're telling me that Red was beat by some random trainer we've never heard of? Gosh, he must be something if he was able to beat Red without any trouble at all." Yes, he sure is.

"Which is why I'm worried about him… I warned him not to go, but he just wouldn't listen!" I honestly can't count how many times I've said that today.

"Well, that's Red for you. Always doing things without thinking. I'm real sorry for you, Philippe." Yeah, so am I.

I had almost forgotten about Yellow, and would've, if she hadn't coughed. I glare at her.

"Umm… Philippe, it's getting late, and I think that we should set up camp here. Doesn't look like we're going to reach Viridian City soon." She says.

"Fine, fine." I agree. Yellow takes out a camping kit from her bag and begins setting up. Bill and I help and in no time the camp's ready.

"Well I'll be… You two must be planning on searching everywhere for Red if you've got that much stuff, right?" Bill asks Yellow. He turns around, only to find out that she's fast asleep.

"Already asleep… I wish I could do that!" So do I, Bill. So do I.

"So, who is that guy, anyways? He says he knows Red, but I've never heard Red once mention a kid like that!" Bill asks.

"Yeah… He's kinda strange. I'm only taking him along because he's Red's friend. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have agreed."

"I guessed as much. You don't seem to like him at all, do you? What with the yelling and the hating. I heard you from halfway across the forest! Why _do _you hate him so much? Bill asks further.

"We both happen to like the same person. Does there need to be anything else for me to hate him?" I explain.

"Ah. Now I get it. I guess that makes all this that much more awkward, doesn't it?" He laughs.

"Yeah, I guess it does." We both continue standing there in silence, the only noise being made coming from Yellow's breathing.

"So… could you tell me exactly what happened with Red? You said that he left to go meet a challenger, but that can't be it! There has to be more to it!" Bill asks.

"I don't know what happened myself. All I do know is that he hasn't come back yet…" I say, sighing.

"If you'd give me that Pikachu, I'd be more than glad to tell you what happened." Enter… You know what? I honestly don't know who it is this time. Both Bill and I turn around towards the voice and are face to face with Lorelei of the Elite Four. Should've known one of them would show up.

"And just who do you think you are, waltzing over here, asking for Philippe's Pikachu?" Bill shouts.

"Oh? So, the Pikachu isn't the boy's?" She says to herself.

"Yes, Pikachu's the boy's! He's Philippe's!" Bill shouts once more.

"Uh… Bill, I think she means Red's." I inform him.

"Hm… Looks like I was wrong. Well, since you won't cooperate I guess I'll just have to force you to." She sends out Dewgong and immediately has it send an Aurora Beam our way. We were given enough time to dodge the majority of the beam, but Bill was unlucky enough to part of his sleeve frozen.

"Just like old times, right?" Is he joking?

"Philippe, I think you should wake up our pal over there!" He points towards Yellow while dodging the additional Aurora Beams being fired. I run over to her and begin shaking.

"Yellow, this isn't the time to be sleeping! Wake up!" I scream. A few more seconds of this and her eyes begin to open, her mouth doing the same in a yawn.

"…What's going on?" She asks sleepily.

"Just take a look." I point towards Lorelei and Dewgong, who just so happened to switch targets to Yellow and I. We both dodge out of the way of yet _another _Aurora Beam.

"Listen here, lady, who are you and why do you want Philippe's Pikachu so badly?" I don't think calling her a "lady" is going to do you much good, Bill.

"You've heard about the fight between Red and Bruno, correct? You were asking about it earlier, so obviously the answer's yes." She begins.

"Wait… Bruno?!" Bill says in shock.

"Yes, that was the name signed at the bottom of the letter. I have it right here." I pull out the map and show it to Bill, pointing out the signature at the bottom of the paper.

"Bruno… No wonder Red lost…" Does Bill know who Bruno is?

"Yes. Did you honestly think that little Red would be able to beat big bad Bruno? A member of the Elite Four? Bruno completely annihilated Red and his Pokémon! Although, a certain Pokémon managed to escape. And I'm guessing you know which one that was." I look down at Pikachu's pokéball and wonder what had happened to him while he was with Red…

"The Elite Four has to maintain a perfect battle record. Not a single loss, not a single faint. We must defeat every opponent, every Pokémon. Including your Pikachu! It doesn't matter if it isn't Red's: It fought against Bruno, therefore, it must be destroyed. It's not a personal thing, mind you. It's just, we have a reputation to uphold. Now, if you would be so kind as to hand Pikachu over to us, we'll be on our way." The woman explains.

"Fat chance! Why on earth would we- wait… did you say, 'we?'" Bill asks, realizing something.

"Yes, 'we.' Bruno isn't the only member of the Elite Four you've heard of. You've also heard of I, Lorelei! I am a member of the Elite Four myself. My specialty? Well, you've already gotten a taste of that." She grins towards Dewgong, still out.

"Dewgong, Aurora Beam!" Dewgong begins charging up another shot, and while it's doing so Yellow sends out Doduo.

"Doduo, Mirror Move!" Dewgong fires the Aurora Beam towards us, Doduo copying the move and sending a beam right back at Lorelei.

"Tsk… Dewgong!" Yellow immediately grabs both Bill and my hand and starts running in the opposite direction of Lorelei, towards an opening in the cliff behind us. We hear Dewgong crashing through the ice that Doduo had created not long after.

* * *

"Honestly, it seems to be that whenever I'm with you or Red I'm always ending up in trouble!" Bill shouts in frustration.

"Well, I'm sorry! Trouble just seems to love us!" And it seems to love Red even more.

"Seems so. Anyways, you recken she's telling the truth?" Bill asks.

"You mean Lorelei?" Yellow asks for confirmation.

"Yes, that gal. What she was saying was a pretty farfetched tale. I mean, Red's the Champion for crying out loud! Ain't no one got enough strength to beat him! Not even an Elite Four! I know they're elite an' all, but so is Red!" Not elite enough, it seems.

"No, Bill. I'm sorry to say, but… The Elite Four just aren't people Red's strong enough to defeat. There's _no one _strong enough to beat them, really. I'm amazed that Pikachu wasn't beaten as badly as Red's other Pokémon were. I'm not trying to say that I'm a better trainer than he is, it's just…" I really have no idea where I'm going with this. But, it's true. I'm amazed at how Pikachu was able to survive being beaten, _and _make his way all the way back to Pallet Town on his own.

"And you two are honestly trying to find him yourselves? You just said that there's no one strong enough to beat them!" He shouts.

"Does it really matter? Bill, Red and I are friends, and friends don't just abandon one another. It doesn't matter if it's impossible, I have to try!" And if I were to let Yellow try on her own, there's no way she'd be able to beat the Elite Four by herself. No possible way.

"You're a true pal, Philippe. I can tell ya that much."

It isn't long until all three of us begin to hear a noise coming from the ceiling. All three of us look up, then towards one another.

"So, I'm guessing we all heard that?" Yes, Bill. We all heard it.

"They know we're in here!" Yellow shouts.

"Looks like Lorelei's trying to bury us alive within this cave. I suggest we move. Fast!" All three of us begin to run towards the way we came in, but not in time. The rumbling causes part of the roof to cave in and block the way out. And what's on the other side?

"You honestly think you could run away from me? It was too easy to find you. Because the environment is so motionless outside, the icy air surrounding you reveals you quickly." Just like Lorelei. Using her specialty to her advantage. Although, who doesn't?

"Either of you have an idea? Because I don't!" Bill shouts.

"Don't let her know we're without an idea! Let me think…" So, situation: We're trapped inside of a cave, with Lorelei standing right above us. If we send out any of our Pokémon, Lorelei will immediately react and kill us with ice. So, we need a sneak attack. But how…

"Philippe, give me Pikachu's ball!" Yellow interrupts my thinking.

"And why exactly should I give you my Pokémon?" There's no way I'm letting her have Pikachu!

"Because he's the strongest, and I have an idea on how to send him out without Lorelei knowing!" If that's the only way… I reluctantly hand her the pokéball. She attaches the ball to the end of her fishing rod – has she been carrying that thing with her all this time? – and begins twirling it around her head.

"What on earth do you think you're doing?" Bill asks incredulously.

"If the motion doesn't give Lorelei a reason to be suspicious, then this plan might actually work." I say to myself.

"What plan?!" Oh, clueless, clueless Bill.

Yellow's done giving the ball momentum and launches it towards a tiny hole in the ceiling, the ball making the shot and landing on the other side. It doesn't seem as if Lorelei noticed… There's still silence besides our breathing.

"So, now what?" Bill asks.

"Now, we wait." And wait we do. Yellow's keeping her eyes shut while concentrating on her rod, waiting for the exact moment to pull back. She must've heard something, because she pulls the pokéball back and not long after there's another huge crash from above us.

"What was that?!" I feel sorry for the guy, so I explain to him what the plan was.

"Basically, Yellow launched Pikachu's pokéball into the hole so he could see what was going on outside. As soon as Lorelei noticed the pokéball, she ordered her Pokémon to attack it. Well, that's probably what happened. Yellow heard the command and pulled Pikachu back just before the impact." I explain.

"And you couldn't have told me this sooner?" Sorry.

"Let's try this one more time…" Yellow hands me Pikachu's pokéball and puts an empty one on the end of the rod, doing the same exact thing as she had done before. She sends out Doduo and motions for Bill and I to get on. We obey her order, her doing the same thing, and she begins to swing the rod over her head once more. The pokéball goes through the hole and lands on the other side, just like before, except this time Yellow doesn't pull it back when Lorelei attacks it. She kicks Doduo's sides and he goes flying with all three of us on. Which only makes me question how she could've kept hold of the rod with Doduo flying away.

"Waaaaahhhhh!" Bill, you really need to start expecting the unexpected with us.

"Dammit!" Lorelei swears. She sends Cloyster after us and I send out Pikachu to meet it.

"Pikachu, Thunder!" Cloyster withdraws into its shell with a command from Lorelei and the electricity just bounces off, although it did leave some minor cracks in the shell. Doduo then takes off with more prodding from Yellow's foot.

"Philippe, you knew what my plan was all along, didn't you?" Yellow asks me.

"Well, it was obvious, really. No one Pokémon could create frozen spikes. The only Pokémon who can create spikes is Cloyster, and since she had sent out Dewgong against us earlier, we know she has at least those two Pokémon. If those two Pokémon created the ice spikes, then with only one of them they wouldn't be able to." Yellow simply nods in agreement.

"Exactly."

Doduo comes to a halt and almost throws us off with the suddenness.

"Gah! That gal's put an end to our path! Look!" Bill shouts. Exactly like he said it, Dewgong had created a wall of ice directly in front of us. How did I not notice that?

"You're not going anywhere. You two seem to know my every move, and now how to get around all of them. How?" Does she honestly think we'll tell her?

"Yellow, we have to get out of here!" I shout.

"I know! Doduo, charge!" Doduo changes directions and starts sprinting off to the right, still away from Lorelei.

"Why aren't we fighting? There's no way we can escape without one!" Bill shouts.

"Bill, didn't I just say not half an hour ago that it's impossible to beat one of the Elite Four? It might be possible to stall them, but not beat! We have to get out of here!" I shout back.

"Not so fast!" Lorelei shouts behind us. Looks like she and Dewgong had a plan of their own. Dewgong's shooting an Ice Beam towards the ground, creating a path of ice that it's sliding across. And it's catching up to us!

"Doduo, faster!" Yellow shouts. Doduo begins to pick up even more speed, but so does Dewgong.

"Dewgong, stop them!" Dewgong changes its aim from the ground to in front of us, creating another pillar of ice like before. Although, this pillar has sharp pointy ends to it.

"There's no other way we can go! We have to fight!" Bill, there's actually one other way we can go… Straight into the river! Doduo turns to the side and dives into the river, being carried by the current.

"This is just great! Now we've given her the advantage!" Bill complains. He's right, though… Dewgong's much faster in the water than on land. It was our only choice!

"Surf!" Dewgong sends a gigantic wave towards us, throwing us into the air. Lorelei then has Dewgong use Aurora Beam to freeze said wave, keeping us in the air.

"This has been fun, but I really must be going. So, I'll be taking Pikachu." Lorelei begins walking up the frozen wave, step by step.

"Such power…" Bill says to himself.

"Power? That wasn't power. If you wish to see power, then look at this! Supersonic!" Oh god, not that move. Cloyster, who's been hiding this entire time, leaps out of the water and sends sound waves towards us, killing our eardrums. We're all paralyzed by the waves, unable to move, or do anything, really.

"Now, if you wouldn't mind." Lorelei's five steps away. Four… Three… Two… One…

"One last thing before you die." Oh, good. She's giving us another minute or two.

"I overheard you and Philippe talking about my plan. Teaming up Dewgong and Cloyster, that is. How could you have possibly known? The hole in the cave wasn't large enough for you to have seen anything! How could you have seen what Pikachu saw?" I knew she had to have been curious. Who wouldn't be?

"Tell me… What ability do you possess? How powerful is it?" Yellow remains silent. Lorelei just sighs.

"No matter. It won't mean anything once you're gone. Say goodbye- What is that?" Lorelei begins looking around, looking for something she can't see.

"Well, if you insist. Bye!" Yellow gives a smile and we all begin falling from the frozen wave. She returns one of her Pokémon to its ball – Rattata, to be exact – and braces for impact. We crash into the water, all of us becoming soaked, and we begin moving with the current once more.

"Yellow, how did you…" Bill starts, not knowing how to finish his question.

"Honestly, Bill. What would you do without us?" I joke.

"I wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you!" …Good point.

"Sorry, sorry. Like I said, trouble seems to follow me wherever I go! I only hope Red's having it as easy as I am…"

"Philippe, you have got to stop worrying about Red! I know that you two are friends, but worrying about him will only make things worse. Just… stop worrying and relax!" Bill says.

"I try to Bill, but… I can't! I have no idea what's going on with Red right now, and… I'm scared, alright? I'm scared!" I scream. He can't possibly know what I'm feeling right now! He just can't!

"I've never had anything like what you're going through happen to me, so I really can't say anything that'd comfort you. All I know is, if you're going to try to save Red, worrying about him will just cloud your mind. It'll make you do things that you normally wouldn't do, and those things would probably make your situation much worse. Philippe, you just need to relax. I think you should take a rest. Look, Yellow's taking one right now!" He points to the girl and indeed, she's sleeping. On a chunk of ice. In the middle of a moving river. How can she do that?

"You're right… I'll try to get some sleep." I guess I'll be doing the same as Yellow. I lay down on the ice, curl up, and try to fall asleep. It takes some time, but soon I get accustomed to the moving current, the coldness of the ice, and fall asleep.

* * *

"You know Bill's right, don't you?"

"I know, I know. But, what I said to Bill is right too. When I try to calm down, it just makes me even more worried! I try, and I try, but I can't! I'm scared, Mew. I don't know what to do…"

"Then take some advice: Do nothing. Just let Yellow do what she needs to do, and all you have to do is follow." Does she know nothing about me?

"And why would I do that? That'd make it look like Yellow saved Red all on her own and I did nothing to help!" I cry.

"But you _know _that Yellow saves him. If you were to interfere, it might change everything and he might not be saved!"

"Mew, that leads to a very good question I've been thinking about. If everything's going by the book, then why am I even here? If everything's going along fine, with no problems, why was I brought here? Everything would be going fine with or without me, so it doesn't really matter. Why?" It's something I've been thinking about ever since I landed here. Mew said that I was here for a purpose, but everything that's happened so far has been… normal. Only minor details have been changed, nothing major.

"Remember? Red has his violent tendencies. You're the one who can stop them!" Yeah, the _one _time he and Misty raged at each other.

"He's only done that once." I say.

"That you know of. Philippe, there's been many times in the past that you two haven't been near each other. He could've been angry then, without you knowing." She's right, but…

"So, you don't know what's going on with Red?"

"No; it's you I stalk, not Red." Gee, thanks.

"That makes me feel much better! Not even a Legendary Pokémon knows what's going on with Red! That makes me feel so much calmer about his situation." Feel the sarcasm?

"Philippe, I know that you're worried, but you don't have to take that tone! I'll answer the other part of your question if it'll make you happy. The reason why you're here even though everything's going smoothly, is because in the beginning, it _does _go smoothly. Later on, as the years go by, things will slowly start to crumble. Nothing will be as perfect as it is right now; it won't be set in stone." At least she's renewing my feeling of purpose here.

"So, what is it exactly that I need to do?"

"I don't know that myself, Philippe. All I know is that Red has his violent tendencies, and that you need to stop him before he does something that he'll regret for the rest of his life." Mew answers.

"Mew, I've been thinking. Are you the person Red was talking about, who 'saved him from his own destruction?'" I still have no idea who that is.

"What do you think?" I have no idea; that's why I'm asking you!

"No, it wasn't me. It was someone else, one of the Guardians who said that to him." Oh.

"Am I ever going to meet these so called 'Guardians?' You've been telling me so much about them over the past two years, but I still haven't met any of them!" And I really want to, too.

"I don't think you'd want to meet them. They're not like us Legendaries. They're not as… 'open,' to mortals." Mortals? Is that what I am now? One of those "mortals?"

"No, Philippe, that's not all you are. That's not all anyone is. That's just how they perceive those who don't live forever. That's one of the reasons you shouldn't want to meet them; they think lowly of anyone not their own." She explains.

"Oh…" It's a couple minutes before either of us speaks again.

"Thanks, Mew. I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier… It's just, that's how I feel! I know that I shouldn't be worried about Red, and I know that I should just let things happen as they're supposed to happen, but… I can't let Yellow take all the credit!" I half-apologize, half-yell-at-her-again.

"Oh! That brings up one last thing that I wanted to talk about." Topic changer.

"Philippe, you need to be nicer to Yellow! You're going to be spending the majority of the next year with her, so it wouldn't do anyone any good if you continued hating her for that time. You need to learn to deal with her. You don't have to like her as your bestest friend. You just need to put up with her, think of her as your equal. Can you at least try to do that?" It'll be hard, but…

"Fine. I'll try."


	38. Supernerd

Author's Note:

Another chapter come and gone. I've just now realized how long I've been doing this for, and how little of a dent I've made in the actual story. It makes me both glad and sad at the same time; glad because it means I'll have a long time to develop the story, and sad because... well, more like scared, because it's a huge project for me. At least I'm having fun, right?

* * *

"…"

"…"

"So…"

"Hm?"

One of the reasons I don't like traveling with Yellow is because there's absolutely nothing to talk about. With Red, at least we had some things in common! With this girl, we have nothing!

We continue walking in silence. We eventually make it to the edge of the next town, Pewter City, when Yellow suddenly stops.

"What's the matter this time?" I ask.

"I hear someone. No, many people…" I wonder who it could be? Both Yellow and I stop and wait for the others to make a move. We've eventually confronted by dozens of people, the lead being none other than Erika.

"Erika? What are you doing all the way out here?" Celadon's far from Pewter, if I remember correctly.

"Philippe? You're traveling with this boy as well? What a relief!" I can see it on her face as well.

"What should you be relieved of?" I ask.

"Professor Oak told me about a boy who was able to tell that Pikachu would come back to its owner, warning him of his Red's danger. He never told me anything about you going along with him!" Erika, honestly, do you think I'd let Yellow take Pikachu? I've said it multiple times before!

"Red's my friend; of course I'd go and look for him!" I exclaim.

"Sorry, sorry… I must not have been thinking straight." Good ol' Erika.

"So… who is this boy, anyways?" She asks, pointing to Yellow.

"I'm Yellow, another friend of Red's." She explains.

"Of course Oak wouldn't have told me that…" She mumbles to herself.

"Don't worry Erika. Now that everything's settled… why are you here in the first place?" It's either a major coincidence, or she had planned it.

"It was actually luck that brought us together. We were out looking for Pikachu, knowing that he's the only one who could lead us to Red. Running into you two was just a bonus." Really, it was.

"Yeah… I can't believe I actually thought that I'd be able to find Red on my own…" We've been searching for days on end, and no sign of Red so far.

"What do you mean, Philippe?" Erika asks.

"Well, it's a long story. I think it'd be best if we waited until we got into town for me to explain it." She agrees and leads us to Pewter City.

* * *

"And that's about it." I finish up. I've told Erika everything that's happened to us in the past couple of days, and the look on her face tells me she's in complete shock.

"I can't believe… that there are people that strong… and that desperate to get their hands on Pikachu. And Red…" Neither can I, Erika.

"That's why I'm so worried about Red… Knowing how strong Lorelei is, and knowing that she's not even the leader of the Elite Four… makes me worried about how powerful the one who is, is." I know Lance is a Dragon trainer, but… how exactly powerful are Dragon types? Dragonair's still too weak to be a good example of it.

"Yes. Being strong enough to command the three who follow… he must be a great trainer." I can't deny that. Even though I hate Lance for what he's doing… he's still a great trainer.

"So, I have a question. Do you two honestly think that you're strong enough to take on the ones who are chasing Red?" I wonder how many more times I'll be asked that question?

"No, I can't say that I do. But I have to try, don't I? If I do, what kind of friend am I?" She nods.

"I see. In that case, we'll do everything we can to help you." It's great to know that others care about Red, just as I do…

"Lady Erika!" A girl bursts through the door.

"Entering without knocking? It must be important." Erika says to herself.

"It is! Someone's spotted a boy that looks exactly like Red outside of Celadon!" …What? But… it can't be! I know that Red's not supposed to be found this early on, so…

"Celadon? Well then, we must get a move on!" Something's not right here…

"Off to Diglett's Cave!" I really have no choice but to follow her, so follow her I do. I only hope that my fears aren't confirmed, which they often are.

* * *

"Let's hope we haven't missed him!" Yellow exclaims.

"Yellow, I don't like this." I tell her.

"Why? It means you had absolutely nothing to worry about! Red's safe, and that's all that matters!" She's deluded, too. Why can't she realize…!

"Yellow, if Red's 'absolutely safe,' then why were we almost killed by Lorelei a couple days ago? Lorelei confirmed our suspicions about something happening to Red, and now he just happens to appear right outside of Celadon? This can't be right!" Yellow gives a slight gasp at the realization.

"But… Ah, I guess you're right. Still, can't you just be happy that _something _related to Red's happened? We had nothing to go off of before. Now, we have a clue!" _Now _she has a point.

"We're almost there!" Do they honestly expect "Red" to have been standing in the same exact spot for hours upon hours upon hours on end? Well, we're about to find out.

"P…Philippe!" My heart stops. I look across the field to see… Red! No… it can't be…! Remember, Philippe… Remember everything that has to be done to save Red! This is too easy… Life's never been this easy! Don't be fooled…

"Pikachu, it's great to see you again! You too, Philippe!" That only confirms my suspicions on the person in front of me being an imposter. Honestly, why would Red greet my Pokémon before myself? The real Red would be going on and on about how I probably caused a plague by myself without him being there to supervise me.

Even though it's now proven that this isn't the real Red, I feel relieved of the stress.

"Pikachu, why don't you say hi?" Pikachu starts moving towards Red.

"Pikachu, stay." Red only looks shocked by this command.

"Philippe, why can't I just say hi to Pikachu?" Oh great, he's _really _trying to play this up.

"Oh really, do you honestly think I'd be that stupid?" Now's everyone's turn to look confused.

"Philippe, what's gotten into you? I thought you'd be happy to see Red again!" Erika shouts.

"Erika, listen for a moment. Do you honestly believe that Red would just show up out of the blue after everything that's happened? Didn't I tell you exactly what Lorelei told me earlier? I hate to admit it, but I'm pretty sure she's telling the truth. And just now, Red happens to show up? Don't you think that's too much of a coincidence?" Erika now begins to see the wisdom in my words, but Red's still not letting up.

"Really? You honestly don't see it to be me? Why, Philippe? It really hurts to know that you don't recognize me for me!" Aaannnddd now he pulls the guilt card. Better just end this before the poor guy embarrasses himself.

"I hope you know that I'm not going to be fooled by anything you say. And yes, I honestly don't see it to be you. Basically, I know when it's Red and when it's not. And you, I'm sure, are not Red." Red's taken aback, then starts laughing to himself. Softly at first, then it becomes more and more maniacal.

"So… I guess I can't fool you, huh? You two must really be close then. What are you, dating or something? No one should've been able to figure my disguise!" I'm not sure whether to feel complimented, insulted, or embarrassed, so I feel all these feels at the same time.

"So, tell me. How _did _you know it wasn't Red? I went to all lengths possible! I crafted the suit myself, I practiced his vocals, I even made a Red cologne!" Wow. I think this guy's obsessed with Red even more than I am. And that's saying something.

"Even if you try to copy the exact outer appearance of Red, which, in this case, you had done successfully, there's still a little something about him that you'll never be able to replicate." I explain.

"Which is?"

"His stupidity. Oh, and his need to constantly remind me how hopeless I am on my own." I felt bad about the stupid part, but it's true. That boy _needs _to learn how to not do such stupid things! They've almost gotten us killed how many times?

"Heh… I guess someone as smart as myself wouldn't be able to copy the stupidity of the boy. Anyways, I'll be taking Pikachu if you won't mind." He sticks out his hand.

"Like hell you will!" I send Pikachu out to shock him, but instead he sends out his own Pokémon that gets in the way of the blast and he, and the electricity hits the Pokémon instead. Since the Pokémon happens to be a Marowak, the electric shock does nothing to it.

"You think I wouldn't be prepared? Ha! I, Supernerd William, will never be beaten by a mere kid!" He tears off his Red suit – That sounds even weirder when I say it – and shows his true self.

"Marowak, Bonemerang!" Marowak throws its bone and it heads for Erika, Yellow and I. We all jump out of the way only to be grazed by it on the way back. Why did I have to forget that Boomerangs can hit twice?

"Cubone!" I send out Cubone, not really knowing why. I'm always one for thinking that something amazing's going to happen if something is done at the right time, so I guess it's because I think something's going to happen if I send out Cubone against its evolved form, Marowak.

"Cubone, look at what Marowak's doing! Look at what it's doing with its mother's bone!" I shout. Cubone looks towards Marowak and sees that it's throwing its bone around to purposefully hurt other humans and Pokémon. Now, I know that I've had Cubone throw its bone, but not with the intentions of purposefully hurting someone!

"Cubone, stop it!" Cubone rushes up to the Marowak and slams its bone towards the Marowak's skull, but the older Pokémon easily dodges it and catches its own bone as it returns from its rotation. It then proceeds to slam it down towards Cubone, copying its move from a couple seconds ago. Cubone lifts its bone up as well, catching both of them in the air.

"Just like a sword fight…" Erika says to herself. She's right. They're both holding their bones like swords, trying to outdo the other. It's really amazing, the sight.

"Hm… Even though your Cubone's still a Cubone, it seems to be evenly matched with Marowak… Alright then! Looks like I'll just have to call on some more 'friends!'" William sends out a Persian and a Paras to join the fight. Yellow sends out Rattata and Erika sends out Vileplume to aid in the fight.

"Rattata, Hyper Fang!" Has Yellow really been training her Pokémon this much? The Hyper Fang sinks into Paras and it looks like it's actually doing some damage. Erika has Vileplume use Sleep Powder on the Marowak, having it become drowsy and allowing Cubone to push its bone aside and knock it unconscious.

"Alright! We have him!" I won't let that Red imposter get away with what he did!

"Not quite!" …What? I quickly turn around, towards the direction of the voice, and… William somehow got behind us and took Pikachu while we were busy battling! How stupid can I be to not be paying attention?

"Persian, quickly!" Persian runs over to William while he returns his other two Pokémon, he mounts the cat, and quickly dashes off.

"Looks like you two need more training if you ever want to compete against this 'Red' of yours!" I… let him get away? I… let him get away with Pikachu? I slump to the ground, not being able to carry myself from the guilt.

"Philippe, get up! He's not going to get far; the rest of the party is beginning to move into formation as we speak. We have to catch up with him before he finds a way past them!" Erika shouts. She's right… Even if William's gotten away, he'll have to get past everyone else who was with us on our way here.

"Philippe, we can use Doduo!" Yellow sends out her two headed bird, mounts, and extends her hand to me. I hesitantly grab it and she pulls me up, Doduo immediately charging off.

* * *

"Now, if I were a Supernerd, where would I hide…" Too bad I'm not one. Think, Philippe. He has Pikachu!

"Philippe, do you have a plan? Without Pikachu's light, we can barely see!" Yellow's right; since we met Erika this morning, a lot's been going on throughout the course of the day. It's gotten late, and the sun's been sinking lower and lower, decreasing the amount of light we can use to see. And of course, the Supernerd took away our only other source of light. Just great.

"If you can't use your sight, use your ears. Listen for something, anything…" Both Yellow and I stand still, doing just that. We listen for anything and everything… Eventually we hear a whooshing sound coming straight towards us and Doduo leaps to the side, narrowly dodging the object flying towards us.

"Philippe, that was a Bonemerang!" Yellow shouts.

"Exactly. If we can just listen for where it's coming from-" And here comes the noise. The horrible, deafening noise. Like nails on a chalkboard. The noise drowns out all other sounds, leaving Yellow and I defenseless. Almost as bad as the Supersonic, but not quite. It's still enough to make my ears bleed, though.

Yellow shouts something, but I can't hear what she's saying over the high pitched screeching. I can see the Bonemerang on its way back, but it's too late to do anything by the time it enters my line of sight. However… for some reason, the Bonermerang just passes us by. I wonder why?

A few seconds later, the reason's revealed. Doduo's the first to go down, then Yellow, and finally myself. Stun Spore… I should've known that he wouldn't have left Paras out! He must've coated Marowak's bone with spores and had it carry them over while the bone was flying. Outsmarted by a Supernerd… And without even a fighting chance! The noise still deafening our eardrums, along with us being stunned, is a killer combo. We're left completely defenseless, allowing the man to do whatever he wants with us… However, he doesn't come. I guess he wants to watch our pain and suffering. Well, I'm not gonna stand for that!

"Yellow, even if we can't move, we have to try something!" I shout. It appears that she's able to hear me now, because she turns her head in my direction.

"It's no use! We're paralyzed and my Pokémon can't hear my orders!" Yellow, _now _you decide that it's hopeless and we should just give up?

"We have to try! Try getting another one of your pokéballs open!" I try to rub my waist against the ground, hoping that one of the pokéballs will open due to the friction, but to no avail. The Stun Spore's taken its toll perfectly and we're 100% paralyzed, not able to move an inch from the ground.

"Hehehe… looks like it's all over for you two! That wasn't even a challenge you put up! I had really hoped for some fun…" Alright, now he's just mocking us.

"And to think, you said that you're Red's best friend. If you were really his best friend, you would've been able to stop his imposter!" He's right, in a sense… But I shouldn't be overestimating my abilities. That's how many people – Red – get in trouble in the first place.

"I'll have you know that Philippe's not the only one who considers Red a friend!" Oh, look. The rescue team has arrived. Brock, Misty, and Erika all leap out from the shadows with their Pokémon behind them, Brock with Onix – How was he able to hide? – Misty with Starmie, and Erika with Vileplume.

"So, you've decided to join the party, eh? Well, lucky for you, I know just how to handle the situation!" He sends Marowak to go bash in Onix's skull but the Pokémon's intercepted by a newcomer. Way to be late to the party, Blaine.

"W-what?!" Looks like we've stumped the Supernerd~

"A… fourth? No one told me about a fourth! This is _so _not fair!" I don't even know how to respond to that whine.

"So, it's fair to hide in the shadows while your Pokémon do all your dirty work for you? It's fair to render trainers completely immobile, while battling their Pokémon?" Nice one, Misty.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyways. Your deaths will make up for it!" Our deaths? His meaning is made clear when Paras draws a claw and it begins glowing. Of course he's going to try to poison us; why wouldn't he? However, just as Paras is about to strike…

Pikachu comes to save the day! I wonder how I didn't notice that William didn't have him during his mocking of us. He must've thought that he had him contained well enough.

Pikachu slams into Paras, knocking it off balance and having the claw narrowly miss my face. Brock, Misty, and Blaine go to apprehend the Supernerd, while Erika takes care of our paralysis. Yellow seems to have passed out from all the pain, which actually doesn't sound too bad… I try my hardest to keep awake, though.

"Philippe, you and Pikachu must share a close bond." Erika says as she's tending to our wounds.

"Yeah… Pikachu was the first Pokémon I'd ever caught. Well… not me, exactly. Red caught Pikachu and gave him to me… as a gift. How we first met was funny, now that I think about it. I had told Red that I didn't have a Pokémon, and he was so desperate to find me one. When we found Pikachu, Red said that he knew that he was the one for me, even though I didn't think so at all. I guess Red's intuition is better than his common sense." I explain.

"And Yellow… His Pokémon must really care for him as well if they were willing to take such severe damage in protecting you two." I simply nod.

"Yellow hasn't had his Pokémon for very long, but he's gotten extremely close to them in that short amount of time."

"Alright! Now that everything's been settled, how about we get down to business?" Misty shouts to get our attention.

"Ah, yes. Philippe, can you stand?" I begin to get up, feeling dizzy at first, but the spell wears off quick enough.

"So! This nerd over here said that he copied Red's look, copied Red's voice, and even copied Red's scent, right?" Misty begins.

"Yes, that's correct. But… if he was able to copy Red's scent, then he must've come in contact with something of his, right?" Makes sense. But… how was this guy able to get a hold of something of Red's?

"If the smell of Red's still on him, then I think we're in luck. If anyone's able to track a scent down, it's this guy!" Blaine sends out his Growlithe and has him sniff the unconscious nerd. However, just as luck would have it, right before Growtlithe gets to the body, it rises up into the air, climbing higher and higher each second.

"W-what's going on?" Misty asks.

"What's with this black fog?" Brock finally speaks.

"If we don't do something, he'll die!" You're right, Blaine. The fog appears to be the same substance as what Gengar's made out of… It'll choke him to death if we don't do something!

"Even though I hate him for what he did… he's our only clue to Red." I sigh as I send out Gengar.

"Onix, grab him before he gets any further away!" Onix stretches its neck out as far as it can go, wrapping itself around the body.

"Alright, now bring him down gently." Onix begins lowering its neck once more, but is interrupted when the fog begins to materialize. Well, materialize as much as a Gastly can.

"So that's what the fog was! A Gastly! Philippe, how did you know?" Erika must've spotted Gengar. Oh well.

"I've seen this trick be used before. Gengar, Shadow Ball!" Gengar launches a dark blast of energy towards the Gastly, but the younger of the two moves around so the Nerd's in the line of fire instead. The ball hits the guy, enveloping him in a glob of shadow, if that's even possible.

"That's not gonna work! Gastly's just going to continue using him as a shield!" What a dirty, dirty trick.

"Alright then. Gengar, return!" I bring back Gengar and send out Dragonair instead. I still will never understand how Pokémon like Dragonair and Starmie can survive out of water. I have Dragonair use an Ice Beam to freeze both the Gastly and the Nerd solid, both crashing down immediately afterwards.

"Onix!" Onix moves its head right underneath the human, catching him before he smashes into the ground. Gastly, on the other hand, isn't so lucky. Misty walks over to me and smacks me in the head. Hard!

"What was that for?" Seriously! I've done this before; it's perfectly safe!

"You could've killed the man!" Keyword: 'Could've.'

"Doesn't matter now. Everything's already happened, and nothing went wrong." Misty just shakes her head.

"I only have one question…" Erika speaks.

"Why is it that the one who originally wanted to capture Pikachu being kidnapped himself? I don't think that this man's the one we should be questioning…" Erika has a point, like always.

"If he's working for someone else, maybe it could've been to prevent him from talking? If he failed his mission, then whoever's in charge of him might be trying to keep him from telling us anything." That puts us all to thinking who could be the person behind this.

"Hm… too bad. Looks like you don't need my help after all." Comes a voice from the sky. We all look up to see that Green's decided to join the party! Finally, someone else I can vent my anger to besides Yellow.

"Green, why are you here? It's uncommon for you to pay us a visit." I haven't seen him once since the Pokémon League… I wonder what he's been doing all this time?

"I thought you might be in trouble. Even though you've managed to stop her this time, next time she'll be more careful." Green explains.

"Who's she?" I have a feeling…

"The one who controlled the Gastly you fought is most likely a woman named Agatha, who is one of the Elite Four." And my feeling's correct.

"The defensive tactics that the Gastly used were the same as the ones that Agatha used when I fought her." He explains further.

"Why did you fight Agatha? Green, you have _got _to stop making enemies with everyone you meet." I receive a glare.

"It was an accident. I had heard about Red's disappearance from my grandfather and decided to check it out myself. Back then, no one knew who our enemies were. This occurrence, as well as previous ones, confirm my thoughts. For some reason the Elite Four have a personal vendetta against my grandfather." Whoa, whoa, whoa.

"Green, they're after Pikachu and Red. What does that have to do with your grandfather?" Seriously, is all he can think about himself and his grandfather?

"My grandfather is the one who sent Red off on his journey; the one who gave him a reason to leave Pallet Town. He's the one who created the one person who could possibly defeat the Elite Four. Why wouldn't they want to get rid of him?" Doesn't answer my question, but I leave it at that.

"Alright… Well, that still leaves the question as to why are they doing this? Why are they going after Red himself? Why are they trying to destroy the one link we have to him? Why are they going to such lengths?" All questions and no answers; I hate that.

"As they get more and more desperate, they'll more than likely slip up on one or two occasions, giving us the information we're looking for." Brock suggests.

"But they're the Elite Four. They're the strongest trainers known in Kanto, so they wouldn't make mistakes like that." I inform him.

"It doesn't even matter. At your current skill level, if you run into them, even if they _do _make a mistake they'll still be able to easily overpower you, especially if you run into all four of them at once. You've only fought one of them so far, and she was able to defeat you _and _Yellow combined. If you want to have any chance at beating them and saving Red, then you're going to have to get stronger." I hate it when he's right.

"Well, if you think you're so strong, then why don't _you _train us? It'd be better than us doing it on our own." Green thinks about it for a moment, then sighs.

"If only to keep yourselves from getting killed. Who knows what my Grandfather would say…" Note to self: Become close friends with Oak. That way, I'll have an advantage over Green.

"Hop on." He says, patting Charizard's back. Yellow's woken up and has been silently listening to our conversation this entire time, but still needs a little help getting on the dragon. When we're both situated, Green has Charizard beat its wings and take off, headed for wherever he's taking us.


	39. Back to Basics

Author's Note:

I'm aliiiiiiive! And Merry-Late-Christmas everyone! I was busy the weeks leading up to Christmas, and I was reading to get better at writing the entire time. I hope that this one's better than the previous ones, and I also hope that people will actually review and give me feedback as to how I'm doing.

* * *

"Greeeen, how much longer?" I whine.

"We've been at this for only an hour. Can you just shut up?" _Only _an hour? And did he just tell me to shut up?!

"An hour of flying is way too long though… I don't be being high up!" I continue.

"You should've thought of that before you asked to come along." Actually, I did.

"Where are you taking us?" Yellow's sitting behind me, even more fearful than I am of heights, gripping onto my sides so much that it hurts.

"It doesn't have an exact location. I found it when I was out training, and I think it'd be perfect for you two." If I know him, it's probably gonna be an area with… what? Caterpie? Weedle? All of the Pokémon that are made fun of for being so weak.

"What exactly are there?" Yellow asks.

"Different types of Pokémon for the different types of situations you'll get yourselves into. There's Grass, Water, Electric, Flying, a few Fire, and some Rock as well." Is there a place that has _all _types? I wonder…

"How far away is it?" I ask.

"Didn't you just ask that?" Green says, annoyed.

"No, I asked how much longer earlier. This time, I asked how far away it is. They're two completely different questions." Green just looks back and glares at me.

We continue flying for a good hour or two more, until eventually Charizard begins to descend. Yellow and I both give out a sigh, and Charizard lands.

"So, now that we're here, how about you show me exactly how much you've been training?" Green asks.

"I knew there'd be a reason behind you accepting training us." Probably to make me look like a weakling in front of him. Oh well; I won't know until I try. I send out Cubone first, while he sends out Golduck. Figures.

"Golduck, Water Pulse!" Golduck sends the ring of water flying towards Cubone, but he easily dodges it by stepping to the side.

"Bonemerang!" Cubone sends his bone flying towards Golduck. While the duck dodges the bone the first time around, it gets hit the second on the bone's return trip.

"Pay attention! Fury Swipes!" Golduck rushes towards Cubone and begins slashing its claws at him, Cubone holding its bone in front of itself to protect it from the brunt of the blows. He still takes a lot of damage.

"Water Gun!" Golduck stops swiping and puts its mouth on Cubone's skull, then lets out a torrent of water. Well, the water has the force of a torrent due to the closeness of Golduck's mouth to Cubone's head. Cubone's blown completely back and is knocked out on the spot.

"Cubone, come back!" I switch out Cubone for Pikachu. I really hope that he's completely recovered from his battle with Bruno… Even though it's been several days, he might not be emotionally healed.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu's cheeks glow a yellow color and the electricity is shot out, flying towards Golduck and hitting him dead on. The electricity rushes throughout its body then exits through the floor.

"Confusion!" …He did _not _just do that. Pikachu's hit by the invisible blast and begins wobbling.

"Pikachu, snap out of it and use another Thunderbolt!" Pikachu begins charging, the charge building a little, then letting go a little, but eventually he builds up enough energy to let out another blast. The blast hits Golduck once more, this time knocking him out.

"Seriously?! Confusion?" I shout at Green. He just gives a "Hmph."

"Machamp." Is all he says as he sends out the Pokémon. Machamp begins by rushing towards Pikachu.

"Pikachu, Slam!" Pikachu begins rushing towards the Machamp as well, and they both collide, knocking each other back.

"Machamp, Seismic Toss!" Machamp quickly gets back up, faster than Pikachu, and rushes back towards it, picking him up and throwing him back towards the ground, knocking him out.

Alright, I know that Green's obviously been training, but how's he gotten this strong?

I switch out Pikachu for Gengar.

"Gengar, Psychic!" Gengar sends out an invisible wave, just as Golduck had done earlier, and it hits Machamp with such a force that it actually knocks it back, causing a OHKO.

"Now _that's_ more like it!" I shout, jumping a little. Yellow giggles at my display of happiness.

Green grumbles as his pulls out his next Pokémon, Porygon.

"Porygon, Psychic." Green commands right off the bat. I have Gengar counter it with another Psychic, the two Pokémon sending out invisible waves to one another. One second… two seconds… three seconds… eventually Gengar starts to weaken, and Porygon just amps up its attack even further, causing Gengar to faint. I switch out for my last Pokémon, Dragonair.

"So, you've finally gotten a new Pokémon? I wondered when you would." Oh yeah… I haven't sent out Dratini or Dragonair in front of Green since I got her. Oh well.

"Of course I did! What did you think, I was just going to keep the three I had? They're strong on their own, but I know that I'll need more if I ever want to keep up with Red." Green gives a slight smirk.

"I see you're learning. However, there's still much more to be learnt. Porygon, Ice Beam!" …Dammit. Dragonair's frozen solid while Porygon continues to freeze it deeper and deeper in the block of ice.

"Well, I guess that's that. Now, how about you, boy?" Green asks, looking towards Yellow.

"Ah… I don't really like battling." Green's dumbfounded.

"You say you want to save Red… But you don't like battling? How… Why… Honestly! If you think that you're going to save Red with this attitude, then just forget it! If you don't like battling, why'd you even get a Pokémon in the first place?!" He shouts.

"Because they're my friends!" Yellow counters.

"Friends?! Pokémon are meant to be respected, not loved! A mutual relationship, not pouring affection over them! Philippe's finally begun to realize that, and that's why he's able to put up longer against me than he did before. If you ever want to save Red, you're going to have to learn that too. And fast. Because I don't put up with people who don't try." Green turns around and heads off, leaving me with Yellow.

"I…" Yellow begins.

"It's alright. He's always like that." I don't like Yellow, but I don't like Green either. Confusing. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." But, if my enemy is Yellow, and my enemy is Green, and Green and Yellow are enemies, then… does that make Yellow my friend, as well as Green? But, then both my friends would be fighting against each other, meaning I'd have to take a side. But if I took a side, then the one who I don't help will become my enemy again… You know what, I'm just gonna stop thinking.

"I was able to tell that during the League match. I only wish Green would've learned something from his loss to Red." Yellow sighs.

"I've known Green longer than you have. I've known Green almost as long as I've known Red. Not as well, but still. Green's always been this way, so it'll be hard to get him to change his ways. Just give him some more time. Around the two of us, he'll eventually crack." With the tension between the two of us, he'll not be able to handle it for more than a couple of days at most.

We hurry to catch up with Green, only to find that he's already set up camp.

"Green, could you tell me your secrets?" I ask.

"What secrets?"

"Of how you were able to put up the tent so fast!" He sighs.

"If you've been wandering for as long as I have, you learn a thing or two, otherwise you wouldn't survive a day in the wild." Which is why I always travel with someone else. Even Yellow's better than traveling alone, even though I hate to admit it.

"We'll start your training tomorrow. For now, let's get the food started. Philippe, go find some firewood. Yellow, come with me." …Of course I'm left alone in the wilderness. Probably part of Green's plan to get me killed or something. I set off from the camp to find the wood he's asked for me to retrieve.

After a couple minutes of searching, I haven't found a single piece of wood that looks good enough for a fire. Funny how there's trees all around me, but I can't find a single piece of wood for a fire. I continue walking, looking for more, when something catches my eye. I walk towards the movement, moving around the trees, and discover that it's… Oh no. Mew?!

"What are you doing here?!" I say in a hushed shout. She gives me the look she normally does; Her annoyed look.

"Oh, right. You can't speak right now." I say to myself. She simply nods her head.

"Honestly, though. What are you doing here?" She floats over to me and places something on my head. I take it off to find out that it's… Red's hat.

"Red's…" I clear my throat.

"So, you came here to bring me Red's hat, to let me know he's fine?" Mew nods once more.

"Well… thanks." I stash the hat in my bag not wanting to look at it any longer, knowing that if I did I'd begin to cry. And crying in front of Yellow and Green is _not _a good idea.

"Well, if that's all you wanted, I guess I'll be going now." She spins in the air and gives as much of a wave as she can.

I continue looking for firewood, although the thought of Red is on my mind the entire time. What could be going on with him? Wasn't he supposed to be frozen? But, then his entire outfit would be frozen as well, keeping Mew from retrieving even his hat… Gah! Mew, giving me Red's hat is making me even more anxious than before! It didn't help at all!

Eventually I find enough twigs and sticks that aren't completely soaked to make a small fire and begin heading back to the camp.

"Philippe, where have you been?" Green asks, annoyed.

"Ah… I ran into some Pokémon on my way. I took care of them, though." It's not a lie.

"Hm… The Pokémon around here are strong. Which ones did you encounter?" Lying isn't exactly my strong suit…

"Like I'd remember. I just sent out Gengar and had him blast through everything. Shadow Ball, along with the same-type-attack-bonus, can pretty much handle anything. Except for you and Red. I swear, one day I'll be strong enough to beat both of you!" I shout. Green looks at me strangely for a second.

"You know about S.T.A.B.? Hm… few people know about that advantage. I'm surprised you do." Not sure if I should be taking that as a compliment or not.

"Yeah. It's helped me in a lot of cases against Red. Although, he still beat me, even using it."

"Excuse me, but… what's 'S.T.A.B.?'" Oh, right. Yellow doesn't know.

"Well, it's what I said. Same-Type-Attack-Bonus. If your Pokémon uses a move that's similar to its typing, it does 150% of the damage of the attack. In a numerical sense, let's say… Alright. We have a Gengar and an Alakazam. Both have the same stats and same strength. If Psychic normally does fifty damage, then Gengar would do fifty damage and Alakazam would do seventy-five damage. That's because Gengar is part Ghost, part Poison, while Alakazam is Psychic; the same type as the attack it used. Does that make sense?" Yellow nods her head in understanding.

"If I tried to explain it to him, he probably wouldn't have understood a thing I said. Heh… takes an idiot." I let that one go in one ear and out the other.

"So, what's for dinner?" I change the subject.

"Food." What a great answer! Green pulls out a pot from inside the tent and fills it with water, putting it over the fire –that Yellow had made while we were talking- to boil.

"Alright. Now, about the next couple of days." Green begins.

"Only a couple of days? But… didn't you say that if we wanted to beat the Elite Four, we'd need a lot more training? A couple of days wouldn't give us a lot…" Yellow interrupts.

"Not with the training you have in mind. No, this training will be 24/7, no stops, no breaks. If you're serious about defeating the Elite Four, you're going to have to train even after you're ready to pass out. Including your Pokémon. You and your Pokémon have to work as a team; if you work on your own, then nothing will be able to be accomplished." Aren't I the one who taught him that?

"Alright, Mr. Teacher. So, what are we gonna do?" Green continues his explanation.

"It won't just be Pokémon battles; it'll be training the trainer's strength and endurance as well. You're going to be doing the same training that I was doing with my Pokémon back when we had ours switched. Training their mind, their body, and their bonds of trust." Green's Pokémon were training themselves back then; it was absolutely terrifying! Red and I couldn't keep up!

"I don't think I could do that…" Yellow whines.

"Yellow, if I can do it, you can do it. That's my usual saying." If only to keep her from giving up; she can't ditch me now! It'd ruin the plot! Although, if Red's escaped, then the plot's already ruined.

"Alright…" We continue to sit for a good while until the food's ready. Green had somehow dropped the food in while putting in the water, and it turns out tonight's meal is a stew. A stew of what, I don't know.

"Of course. It's not like I'd poison it." He read my thoughts exactly.

"It's… good, in some ways." Yellow compliments.

"I'm not saying it's bad! It's just… not suited to my tastes." Green lets out a "Hmph."

"I can say the same. It's not bad, but it's not something I'd like to eat all the time either." Green gives me the same "Hmph." as before.

"Then you're cooking next time." I walked into that one, didn't I?

Once we finish eating, I remember something that Green had mentioned before we took off.

"Green, back in the city, didn't you say that you had fought a member of the Elite Four before? The same one that had ambushed us? What was it like?" If we knew more about the members, that'd give us even if only the slightest advantage over them the next time we fought.

"Yes. I fought Agatha once before. I won't spare you the details of how I met her, but I'll tell you about the battle. Agatha obviously has Ghost Pokémon, as you saw earlier, and as such, she likes to play with peoples' mind. She had Gengar put me to sleep using Hypnosis, then proceeded to have him use 'Dream Eater.' It does what its name implies; it absorbs the energy from its sleeping opponent by eating its dreams." I wonder what kind of dreams Green had?

"Eventually I broke through the Hypnosis and had Scyther slash through her Pokémon. But remember, not all trainers have the mental strength to break through a Ghost Pokémon's attack. That is why I'm having you train your own bodies, your own minds, not just your Pokémon's." Now I get it… I think.

"So, as for the Pokémon battle, her Gengar is her strongest Pokémon, so you should worry about it the most. In our battle, it used Night Shade, Hypnosis, Dream Eater, and Confuse Ray. As long as you can avoid being put to sleep by Hypnosis, it shouldn't be too hard. Confuse Ray can be snapped out of if you and your Pokémon share a close enough connection, and Night Shade does the same amount of damage as the user's level; it can't be a critical attack." So I just need to avoid Hypnosis…

"Alright. So, her other Pokémon, what are they?" I ask.

"She has multiple Gastly, multiple Haunter, and multiple Gengar. Her other Pokémon are Arbok and Golbat." He lists.

"So, basically, Gengar can take care of all of them?" If that's the case, Agatha will be a piece of cake!

"In the sense of his move-set, then yes. Physic can take care of all of her Pokémon. However, like I said before, it's the status-inflicting attacks that you should be wary of. All of her Pokémon know Confuse Ray, and her Ghost Pokémon know Hypnosis. She'll probably try to subdue you using those moves first, then go in for the kill. It's a guess, but if she isn't able to subdue you within the first couple of minutes, she'll probably just try to finish you off as quickly as possible at that point." Awww…

"So, basically, it's luck?"

"Luck and skill, pretty much." The skill part I can work on, but my luck's always been the worst ever since… well, ever.

"I think that wraps it up for today. You should get some sleep if you want to keep up tomorrow. Same with you, Yellow." Green announces. We all go into the tent, curl up in our sleeping bags, and fall asleep.

* * *

"I honestly thought you would've cried back there."

"Did you want me to?"

"No."

"Then that's why I didn't. Honestly, if I had cried back there, Yellow and Green wouldn't know what was up, and Green probably would've shipped me back to Pallet Town. Then, if I had shown them the hat, Green probably would've hounded me with a million questions as to where I found it, why I had it, why I didn't show it to him earlier, etc. And I really didn't want to have to deal with that." I explain to the pink girl.

"Well, you could cry right now if you want to." She offers.

"Nah. For me, if I want to cry because of an event, I cry then and there, or not at all. Since it was hours ago that you had given it to me, the feeling's worn off. Still… can you explain to me exactly what happened to Red that allowed for his hat to be thawed out? If more, his entire body?" Mew's probably the only one who knows, besides Red himself. Maybe one or two of the Elite Four.

"Yeaaaahhhh… Now your question as to 'When will me being here affect things?' comes into play." I. So. Called it.

"So, basically, me being here has allowed for Red to escape through solid ice sooner than he should've been? How does _that _make any sense?" I ask.

"It doesn't. All I know is that while I was checking up on everything, I saw that the block of ice Red was frozen is had a gaping hole in the back of it, and that his hat was left behind. I don't know why he left his hat there… maybe to let anyone who came across it know that he was able to escape?" Well, it let me know that he escaped, as well as Mew. The question still remains: If the person who helped Red escape didn't help him escape this time… who did? I keep this thought to myself.

"Red, Red, Red… He probably knew that everyone would be worried. Especially me." Mew and I both laugh at this.

"Well, you _do_ worry quite a bit, Philippe. You can't blame him." That I can't.

"I try not to worry, but everything Red does is worrisome! He always gets himself into trouble, so there's no possible way I _can't _worry." If I turn my back on him for one second, he's probably dead. Although, he'd probably say the same thing about me…

"You two give each other a lot of things to worry about. I'm glad to see that you've taken my advice, though. You're worrying less than you were before. That shows signs of progress!" Mew gives me two thumbs up.

"Yeah… So, is that all for tonight?

"Yep!" She snaps her fingers and I gain/lose consciousness again.

* * *

The first thing I see when I wake up is Yellow's Rattata on my face, so it's pretty natural that I'd scream. Yellow hears and comes running over.

"W-What's the matter?" What do you think?

"Your rat's on my face." I say, voice muffled through the fur. I'm not trying to be mean, but that's literally what Rattata is; a rat. It's even in the name!

"Ah… sorry about that. He just likes you!" She returns the rat to its ball and continues speaking.

"So… do you know where Green could be?" Oh, gee, I wonder what gave you that idea. I've been asleep longer than you, and you expect me to know?

"No, I can't say I do. You'd know if anything." She sighs.

"He said that we'd be training 24/7, yet he's not even here! Should we go look for him?" I nod my head.

We both head off in separate directions, looking for the other boy. We search for a couple minutes with no luck, else the other would've went back and looked for the other. Eventually, when I'm about to give up, I hear a scream coming from Yellow's direction. I turn around and begin to run, and when I get there my fears are completely shattered. It's just her, Green, and Green's Scyther and Charizard.

"What was the scream for?" I ask Yellow.

"Green was… training, I guess. But I have a good reason! A boulder was about to crash on him! But… then his Scyther cut it up into small pieces." She says nervously.

"I'm guessing that's the 'Trust in your Pokémon' part of your training?" I shout to Green. He doesn't pay any attention to me and continues training.

"Well, if he's going to train us he's going to have to pay attention to us eventually" I say to Yellow.

"He's probably been at this all morning… How much longer do you think he'll be able to keep it up for?" Probably until we get so bored that we leave.

"Hey, Green! How much longer are you gonna ignore us?" I shout over to him.

"Seeing as ignoring you isn't going to make you stop, I guess I have no choice." He returns Charizard and Scyther to their pokéballs.

"You said that you were going to train us and yet here you are, training by yourself." I tease.

"You two were still asleep, so I thought I'd get some training in myself. Without the two of you." Ouch.

"Well, what are we gonna do today?" I ask enthusiastically.

"Primarily what I was just doing. For starters, you need to learn to trust your Pokémon."

"But I already trust my Pokémon; I trust them with my life." I also trust them with Red's life, which is even more amazing.

"Then you have to help them learn to trust you." And how exactly would I do that outside of a life-endangering event?

"And how do you propose I do that?"

"Figure it out on your own." And he calls _that _"training us?"

"Well, looks like we're on our own, Yellow." I turn to the girl… who isn't there anymore.

"Yellow?" I call. I'm answered with another scream.

"What's it this time…" I mumble to myself while running towards the sound.

"There's something in the bushes…" She whispers as I get closer. A few seconds later… a Caterpie comes out.

"…"

"…"

I look towards her and start giggling.

"Don't say anything." And she blushes.

"If you're scared of a Caterpie, nothing's ever going to get accomplished." Green sighs, walking over to us.

"If anything, I think a task better suited for you, Yellow, would be to catch that Caterpie. It seems to have followed you all the way from town." Way to kill her self-esteem, Green. But… I'm not exactly sure how much her Pokémon trust her either.

"A-alright…" I guess she's still embarrassed from being scared by a Caterpie. I would be too if I were her. Although, I probably would've hid behind Red after screaming.

"Um… How do you catch a Pokémon again?" …What?

"You fight them, Yellow."

"But, doesn't that involve hurting them?" What other way is there to catch a Pokémon?

"You hurt them until they're weak enough to be caught. Then, you throw a pokéball at them." I continue explaining.

"I can't just hurt a Pokémon, though! What have they ever done to us?" She's really being difficult…

"Philippe, come. Let's leave Yellow to his catching." I really don't know what to say to Yellow, so I follow.

* * *

"Philippe, why do you even travel with him? He's useless! He can't even catch a Caterpie! _And _he says that he doesn't want to fight! How'd he get his other Pokémon, besides Rattata, without fighting?" Green rages.

"I can't say that I know how he got Doduo and the rest… And the only reason I'm traveling with him is because everyone's been saying that I can't do this alone, that I'd need other people's help in rescuing Red. Even if he's a complete failure as a trainer, he's still a person." I explain.

"A person who can't even fight."

"Yes, a person who can't even fight."

…

"Philippe, let me ask you something." I'm scared as to what it could be.

"What's your relationship with Red?" …Excuse me?

"Why would you ask that?"

"You're putting up with Yellow. I know you and Red are friends, but even I wouldn't put up with someone like that for a friend." Green leans in closer.

"Do you… like Red?" Well, if the blush on my face doesn't answer the question, nothing will.

"Why would you care if I did or didn't? You're the person least likely to care about anyone else's personal lives!" Seriously, Green hates everyone!

"Just curious." Just curious… there's no way he's "just curious."

"Why? Is there someone _you _like?" I ask. Green gives a creepy smile in return.

"Maybe. If there is, I'm not saying." Green… _liking _someone? But… that's impossible!

"And just why wouldn't you tell me if there was?"

"Because it's none of your business." Oh, and me liking Red is his business?

"How about we go check on how the other guy's doing?" He acts all creepily, then suggests we go back and check on Yellow? I really hope he has an explanation for this…

When we get back to Yellow, she _still _hasn't caught the Caterpie.

"Hehehe…" Green shakes his head.

"You really are useless, aren't you?" I think that's the first time Green has ever said anything bad about her outright.

"Just have Rattata use an attack. It can even be its weakest attack! Just… something to weaken it!" Green shouts.

"Uh… Green? You don't have to yell." He gives me a glare in return. Looks like he's back to being annoyed by everything I do.

"The thing is… I don't know any attacks." Now's the time for both Green and I to look incredulous.

"You… have had your Pokémon for how long? And… you don't know any of their attacks?! How did you catch Rattata and Doduo then?" Green shouts again.

"Red helped him catch Rattata." I pipe in.

"And someone else gave me Doduo." I knew she couldn't have caught it herself.

"Just… Philippe, give her your Pokédex." I reluctantly do as I'm told and hand over the device.

"Point the Pokédex towards your Rattata and press these buttons." Green shows Yellow how to find her Pokémon's moves and stats on the Pokédex.

"Now, use either Tackle or Hyper Fang. The other two moves are just stat changing attacks." Yellow has Rattata use Tackle on the Caterpie and the worm gets flying back. Yellow cringes.

"Alright. Since Caterpie is a normally weak Pokémon, you should be able to catch it with a pokéball now." Yellow throws the pokéball, given to her by Green, and it shakes three times before becoming still.

"D-did I catch it?" The ball isn't moving anymore, is it?

"After hours…" Green mumbles under his breath.

"Huh? S-something's happening!" Yellow shrieks, pointing at her Rattata. Looks like it's time for another evolution!

"Your Rattata must've gained enough experience from that battle to be able to evolve. Once a Pokémon evolves, it changes forms and becomes much stronger, its stats improving and its ability to learn increasing." Green explains.

Rattata continues glowing and Yellow continues shrieking until it's done. Rattata then squeals in joy of its new form, while Yellow slumps to the ground and cries.

"W-what?! You've got to be kidding me! This guy isn't for real, is he?!" Green shouts towards me.

"A trainer who _cries _when their Pokémon evolve?" You really should be more considerate towards other people's feelings, you know.

"S…sorry… I just didn't know that Pokémon could do that…" Green continues ranting and raving by himself.

"Yellow, I'm sorry about not saying this earlier, but I didn't know that Rattata was going to evolve! Well… there's a way to prevent evolution. However, you need to have a Pokédex to be able to do so. And not just any Pokédex will do! You have to have your very own, meaning, your Pokémon need to be registered in the 'dex." I explain to her while Green's calming down.

By this time it's already getting dark out and we decide to return to camp.

"I'm gonna head in early… there's been a lot of things that have happened today. Goodnight." Yellow says while yawning. She crawls into the tent and falls asleep almost instantaneously.

"So… How's everything going?" Green says from behind me.

"What's with the act?" He's been acting strangely since we left Yellow the first time.

"What act? There's no act." He does that creepy grin again.

"You're acting nice all of a sudden. Why?" He inches closer.

"Why can't I be nice?"

"Because you're you!" Green is Green is Green, and Green isn't supposed to be nice!

"Philippe, I know that I've been mean to you in the past, but that doesn't mean I can't change, does it?" It kinda does. At least for you.

"Green, what's gotten into you?" He's dangerously close now…

"Just playing off of some information that was obtained earlier." What information?

"What's that supposed to mean?" He places a hand on my cheek and slowly strokes… My mind exploding at the same time.

"Since you revealed earlier that you liked Red, it means you're into that sort of thing. Which also means that I have a chance. So, if you ever get sick of Red, you know where to find me." He turns around and heads into the tent himself, leaving me in complete… I don't even know what state I'm in. Confusion? Much more than that.

First off, Green figured out that I like Red. That's pretty obvious to everyone _but _Red, if they see how I act around him. Secondly, Green… likes me? If I ever get sick of Red… I know where to find him? He was acting like a complete pervert and he's only 13! Granted, Gold's probably even more perverted at 11… But this is Green we're talking about! Green isn't supposed to be perverted!

Anyways, one thing's for sure. I am _not _sleeping in that tent tonight. Nor am I going anywhere _near _Green for the next couple of days. At least not alone, that is. He seems to be normal when Yellow's around. Great, now there's another reason I can't let her leave.


	40. Mankey Madness

"Hyah!"

Yellow and I have been training for the past week with Green, and I have to say, it's been… interesting. Not only because of the forms of training that Green's put us through, but also the fact that he hasn't let up with his creepiness. I didn't think it was possible, but he's actually been acting _creepier. _It's been less outright, but I've seen him looking at me while Yellow and I were training. This is nothing like the Green that I know. Nothing. At. All. I would've left if it weren't for the fact that Green flew us in and I have no idea where we are.

On the topic of training, Yellow's been doing much better than she was doing when we fought against the nerd. She's even been doing a lot better since the first day we got here. She's learned most of her Pokémon's commands and she's also learnt how to use them effectively as a team. Green's been having us study from "Red's" Pokédex, so that's helped as well. We're still nowhere near strong enough to take on the Elite Four, but we're getting there.

"Philippe, I don't think these Pokémon really like me…" Did I forget to mention that Green's lent her some of the Leader's Pokémon as well? She's gotten Omanyte and Graveler.

"It's probably because they're not used to you. Pokémon only obey you if you have a badge proving that you're strong enough to train them." I hope that logic's applied here as well, or else I'd look stupid.

"Oh…"

"So, how are you two doing?" And here comes Green.

"Good, but… sometimes the Pokémon don't respond to me." Yellow admits.

"You just need to let them get used to you. Pokémon won't listen to you the first time you send them out, not even if you caught them yourself." He explains. Omanyte demonstrates this by shooting a blast of water in Yellow's face to which I laugh.

"T-that wasn't funny!" Oh, yes it was.

"Like I said, it'll take time. If you're tired of not being listened to, then go back to studying Red's Pokédex." He leaves as quickly as he came.

"How about we do that instead?" Yellow asks as I pull out the 'dex.

"Alright… We've gone through approximately forty percent of the data that's been recorded. How about we start off with Poliwag?" Yellow nods her head and I read off the information.

"Poliwag is the 'Tadpole Pokémon.' Its newly grown legs prevent it from running. It appears to prefer swimming than trying to stand."

"Poliwhirl is the 'Tadpole Pokémon.' Capable of living in or out of water. When out of water, it sweats to keep its body slimy."

"Poliwrath is the 'Tadpole Pokémon.' An adept swimmer at both the front crawl and breast stroke. Easily overtakes the best human swimmers."

After I read the descriptions Yellow speaks.

"Isn't Poliwag Red's first Pokémon?" And how would she know that? Everyone knows he has a Poliwrath, but he could've just caught it as is.

"Yeah. He has a Poliwrath right now. Wherever he is…" I'm still worried as to where he could be, being unfrozen…

"How about the next Pokémon?" Yellow says, changing the subject. I begin reading again.

"Abra is the 'Psi Pokémon.' Using its ability to read minds, it will identify impending danger and Teleport to safety." Which is one of the most annoying moves thought of.

"Kadabra is the 'Psi Pokémon.' It emits special alpha waves from its body that induce headaches just be being close by."

"Alakazam is the 'Psi Pokémon.' Its brain can outperform a super-computer. Its intelligence quotient is said to be 5,000.'

As I finish up Alakazam's entry, Green walks back to us.

"So, how's the training going?" Well, we were able to read six entries in the short amount of time that you were gone.

Yellow begins to open her mouth but is interrupted by a noise.

"There's something there." Green whispers. No duh.

The noises become louder and we can pinpoint its origin; above us. We all look up to see that we're surrounded by dozens of Mankey and one Primeape on the cliffs above. I wonder if they know Red's?

"So this is a group of hungry Mankey…" Green says to himself.

"If they're so hungry, why don't they go look for food?" Makes sense, doesn't it?

"Because they think that humans will have easier food than if they were to go hunting for it themselves." Always do what's easiest includes Pokémon as well, I guess.

"And if they're hungry enough… they think that humans _are _the easy food." Wait… does that mean the Mankey will eat _us? _What a way to go… Eaten by a pack of wild Pokémon.

"Alright. This'll be a good test for all of us." Green sends out Golduck and Pidgeot, followed by Yellow with Rattata and Doduo, then I with Pikachu and Gengar.

Green begins with having Pidgeot Wing Attack the closest Mankey and Golduck Hydro Pump the ones that are farther away. Yellow has Rattata Hyper Fang all the ones it can reach and Doduo act the same as Pidgeot with Drill Peck. Pikachu and Gengar attack from afar with Thunderbolt and Psychic. It's a pretty good combination except for the fact that there's dozens upon dozens of them, one replacing the last once it's knocked out.

"Our Pokémon will tire out if this keeps up… Philippe! Yellow!" Green catches our attention.

"I'll distract the Mankey while you two go after the Primeape! If the leader's down, the rest will surely scatter!" Sounds like a plan. Yellow pulls back, having Doduo and Rattata return to her while Pikachu and Gengar attack the ones that follow.

"Do you see it?" I look at the wave of Mankey and see one that's a little taller than the rest.

"Probably… that one." I have Pikachu send a Thunderbolt towards it, causing it to become enraged. Once it plows through the rest of the Mankey we can see it for what it is; the Primeape.

"Pikachu, come back!" Pikachu begins running back to me with the Primeape on its tail, slowly catching up.

"Alright, get ready to attack." I warn Yellow. She nods in response.

When the Primeape is right beside Pikachu Yellow has Doduo charge it from the side, being hidden in the bushes prior to the attack. It knocks the Primeape to the side but it rights itself quickly, now going after Doduo.

"Gengar, Psychic!" Gengar closes its eyes and begins sending the waves of energy towards Primeape, causing it to stomp its feet into the ground and rage even more. Its energy's slowly drained, but that doesn't stop the Pokémon from charging into Gengar and making it lose its concentration. I guess laws of the games don't apply in the real world of Pokémon.

"A little help here?" Yellow has Rattata use the short distraction as a chance to attack, having it use Hyper Fang and biting into Primeape's fists. Since the fists are naturally gloved it does little damage, but it does enough to distract the ape. Primeape switches its attention from Gengar to the rat and begins pounding on it.

"Shadow Ball!" Gengar lets loose the ball of shadows and it this Primeape directly in the chest, knocking it to the side again. Primeape takes a little longer to right itself this time, showing that it's weakened.

"Yellow, finish it!" Yellow has Doduo use a Drill Peck to finish it, scoring what looks to be a critical hit. The Primeape gets a direct hit and falls to the ground, finished.

"Ah…!" Yellow runs up to the fainted Pokémon and talks to it.

"Phew… You had to find food for your whole pack of friends, you poor Pokémon." She says. The Primeape seems to calm down and look towards Yellow as a… mother figure? I have no other way of putting it.

"Yellow… So, I was correct." Green says as he walks up to us. It seems that the other Mankey became confused as soon as we took Primeape out of their army, so Green was able to easily scare the rest.

"Correct about what?" I ask. Yellow seems to know what he's talking about from the look on her face.

"I guess it was bound to come out eventually…" Ah… she must be talking about her healing.

"You're a Healer, aren't you?" Yep, that's it.

"Yes, I am. I've been able to connect with Pokémon's feelings as long as I can remember… the people back in Viridian City say that it's a rare gift that is found in people coming from the city. There's supposed to be two other people who possess the gift, but no one knows where they are…" I do! I do!

"Yellow, you have an amazing gift. Why do you hide it?" Green asks.

"Because if people knew I had it they'd be all over me, asking me to heal their Pokémon, asking me to talk to their Pokémon. I want people to like me for me, not for what I can do." Sounds a lot like me… Not the "what I can do" part, but wanting people to like me for me.

Wait… Yellow said a while ago that people didn't like her because of something about her… If she says that people would be all over her if they knew she was a Healer, then it can't be that. So… what is it?

"I can see what you're getting at… It's hard having people all over you. I'm sure Red felt the same thing." I can see a slight scowl when he mentions Red's name. Is it because of how I feel towards Red, or is he still upset that he lost the League match to him?

There's a bit of an awkward silence until Yellow breaks it.

"Well… I think we should get going. I know that we haven't trained with you as much as we should've, but… if we continue staying with you, I know at least I'd start to become dependent on you." Yes, Yellow. Get me away from Green!

"I really think you'd do good with a bit more training, but you're right. None of your Pokémon know Surf, right?" Well, Dragonair could learn it, but no one has the HM right now, so we both nod our heads no.

"In that case you two should hurry to board the ship over there." Green points towards a ship named the S.S. Anne in the distance that neither of us had noticed before. How did we not notice a giant ship?

Wait… S.S. Anne… isn't that the one that Lt. Surge was heading back when Red and I were still new friends? Oh god… I hope he isn't back to trouble again.

"Alright. Thanks, Green!" Yellow waves to Green as she turns around and begins running up and around the cliffs towards the docks. Green begins to stare at me while she's gone…

"Philippe… here. Take this." He hands me a letter and says no more.

"What's this for?" Isn't he supposed to do his creepy grin?

"Just read it when you get the chance." He sends out Pidgeot and grabs a hold of its leg, having it fly himself away. Dammit! Now I don't have a chance to talk to him about this entire thing! Oh well… It's for the better, now that he's gone. I turn around and try to catch up with Yellow.

* * *

"Ah… we made it!" We barely did, Yellow. We were running as fast as we could and we _still _had to jump to make it. It's funny how no one stopped us for not paying our fees… Are there even fees? Anyways, it turns out that the Gym Leaders had "rescued" the ship from Lt. Surge's smuggling. Now it's back to carrying passengers to and from wherever the ship's going. Which it turns out that today, it's going to Vermillion.

"Hm… Philippe, can we go check to see if there's any available rooms?" Oh, right… we still need to find a place to stay on this ship! If it's completely booked then we're in trouble…

But it looks like our fears were for nothing! We find an empty room near the front of the ship, completely furnished with everything that a cruise ship would have to offer. I guess it's one of those rich people's rooms.

"Funny how no one's using this room… And even funnier how it's not guarded, what with how expensive all this stuff must be." Luckily it has two beds; if it had only one I'd rather sleep on the floor.

"Philippe, could I ask you something?" Yellow asks, using the same tone as Green. Oh no… I think it'd be even worse if Yellow confessed she had feelings for _me _rather than Red.

"What is it?"

"Could I ask you… exactly why you hate me so much?" I think "hate" is a little too strong of a word.

"It's not that I 'hate' you, exactly… Gah! I just… can't tell you, alright?" Hopefully she'll drop it like she did last time, but seeing as we're on a ship that's completely surrounded by water, that probably won't be happening.

"Alright then. Let me ask you a different question… What is Red to you?" Same exact tone as Green, same exact question… I'm really getting scared now.

"Why are you asking?"

"Because… I heard some things." What… "things?"

"Like?"

"Well… I heard you and Green talking…" Oh… My… … …

"A-and…?"

"Do you really like Red?" I guess I have no choice but to answer…

"Yes. And I'll answer your previous question with this answer. The reason why I've been so mean to you up until now is because I've been trying to get you to get away from Red and I, but I guess that hasn't been working. I'm not sure if Red likes me, I'm not even sure if he's like that. But one thing's for sure; I will make sure that anything that gets in my way is gotten rid of, even if it's an eleven-year-old girl." Instead of crying as I thought she would, she begins… laughing? Alright, what is this?

"W-what's so funny?"

"Oh… Philippe, I made it easier for you to answer my question, and you just made it easier for me to answer your question!" She says through bouts of laughter.

"And how exactly did I make it easier for you?"

"Philippe, there's no need to hate me because you're scared I'll take Red away. I don't like Red, so there's nothing to worry about." Well, that just made my heart feel relieved a thousand times over.

"That still doesn't answer the question as to how it made your question easier to answer." I remind her.

"Well, a while ago I told you that people wouldn't like me if they found out about the truth about me, right?" I nod.

"It's about the Healer status, right? But… you said people would be all over you if they knew."

"It's not about the Healer status. It's about what you just said!" About what I just said…?

Alright, I said that I liked Red. So, what's it about that that would make people not like her?

…

…

I'll let her answer this one.

"And what would cause them not to like you?" If my suspicion's correct…

"It's somewhat like your condition." Then that would mean…

"My condition with liking Red?" That Yellow…

"Actually, it's exactly like that condition." Is…

"Yellow, are you…?" She nods.

"Yes. I'm gay as well."

…Now's the time for both of us to start laughing. I've never laughed this hard in my entire life… it feels good! All of this fighting for my life, all of these emotional events… all of it's been stressful. I need a good laugh every now and again!

"So… Yellow… You mean to say that… All this time that I've…. Been hating on you… There wasn't a need to?" I say between laughs and gasps.

"You hated me for… Thinking that I was trying… To steal Red from you… While in the end… I don't even like guys!" This has got to be the most ironic situation I have ever been in and will ever be in.

We give ourselves a couple of minutes to stop laughing, then continue speaking.

"So, Yellow. This brings up another question." She looks at me, confused.

"What would that be?"

"Who _do _you like?" I grin.

"W-what?!" She gasps.

"And you can't say that you're too young to like anyone! I liked Red back when I first met him, when I was ten! That's even younger than you are now!" I laugh once more.

"W-well… there's this… one girl…" Now we're getting somewhere!

"Do I know her?"

"Well… yes. I don't really know her much myself, but… She seems nice." "Nice?" Is that all she has to say?

"What else is there about her that you like?"

"Ah… Well, she's strong, wise, cunning… older than me." Just like with Red and I! Except for the wise and cunning part.

"Do you know her name?"

"Yes, but… Will you promise not to laugh?" I think I'm already laughed out.

"Sure."

"It's… Blue." …Nope! Not laughed out at all! I begin laughing even though I promised not to.

"You promised you wouldn't!" She cries.

"I'm not laughing at the fact that you like Blue! I'm laughing… well, at the fact that Blue's the one you like!" It's basically saying the same thing, but oh well.

"Yes, Blue's strong. She made it to the League Semi-Finals, and she only lost because she went against Professor Oak, who also knew her fear of birds. Yes, Blue's wise. She was able to outsmart Red many times. And you have _no idea _how cunning she is. She was cunning enough to steal Red's badges! Twice!" Yellow stares in shock at this fact.

"She _stole _Red's badges?" Twice!

"Yeah! She ended up giving them back and earning her own, but it was funny watching Red rage after her time and time again until she did." Oh so funny.

"Blue's sounding more and more interesting!" Learning things you never knew about the person you love can do that to a person. Well, like. I'm not really sure on how strong the feelings for Blue she has.

"So, how did you end up realizing you had feelings for Blue?"

"Well… I don't really know. One day, when I was with all three of you, I just… felt something." That doesn't really give me much to go on, but alright.

"How did you realize you had feelings for Red?" Of course she'd reverse the question.

"I can't really remember exactly… But I do remember when the feeling was at its strongest! It was when Red and I were almost killed by Lt. Surge on this very ship! Lt. Surge had shocked us both with his Pokémon and threw us both overboard. I was almost sure we were going to drown then and there… But Red's Poliwrath saved him, and he saved me. We both got out of there safely, but I was still unconscious for the next day or two. For some reason they had brought me to the Pokémon Center to recovery; probably because that was the best place they had available. After I woke up, the nurse told me that Red was waiting for me at the Pokémon Fan Club's HQ. I got there as quickly as I could. It was still night, and Red was tired from his own ordeal, so I sat outside the door for who knows how many hours. When Red finally woke up, I heard his footsteps near the door. When he opened it… you couldn't believe the look on his face. Nor the one on my own… We were both so relieved that the other was alive. That was the first time Red had shown so much compassion… We hugged each other and stayed there for who knows how long." By the end of my story Yellow was sobbing.

"That's… beautiful." She says.

"And to think! It happened when I was ten years old! One year younger than you!" That got her back to her senses.

"What?! That happened when you were ten?! I thought it happened not long ago! I mean… Really, either way, those types of things should only happen in books!" It's like a dream come true… Well, part of a dream, at least. I'd really want for something more to happen, but eh. Beggars can't be choosers.

"Which is why I couldn't believe it was happening either. Well… that could be because I almost died and was still weak from my near-death experience." I giggle.

* * *

We continue talking for hours about my experiences with Red and Yellow's thoughts and feelings towards Blue, until she finally brings up a topic from earlier in the day.

"Philippe, it's clear how much you love Red, but… there's one thing that's been on my mind since it occurred." What could it be?

"And that is?"

"What happened with you and Green last night?!" I knew she'd eventually bring that up… Speaking of Green! I still have that letter to read! Or… should I?

"To be honest, I have no clue myself. One minute Green's all hateful, the next he drags me away from you and starts flirting!"

"Yeah… Sorry about that. When he dragged you off I was worried about you, so I kind of followed you two…" So that means that Yellow heard everything he said? At least it means I'm not crazy and just hearing things.

"Don't be. It's good that I have a witness! Anyways! What does Green even mean by 'If you ever get sick of Red, you know where to find me?' Why does he think I'll get sick of Red?"

"Philippe, it doesn't sound as if he really likes you. It sounds as if he's just… well, I don't know! Just trying to get you because you seem easy?" Well, if that's not an insult I don't know what is!

"I am not easy!" I shout.

"I never said you were! Maybe he just thinks you are! From what you've told me, it seems that you're the weak one between you and Red, so maybe he's targeting you because of that?" If that's her way of saying Uke then she _really _needs to work on her vocabulary.

"Maybe… anyways, it's getting late. We should get to bed soon." I finally took a look out the window to see that it's pitch black. If I know anything, the S.S. Anne is full of trainers that will be ready to battle tomorrow, so we'll need to be well rested for the fight. Yellow gets into her bed and I get into mine and we fall asleep instantly.

* * *

"I told you you shouldn't be so mean to Yellow!" Wait… did Mew know about Yellow?

"If you knew about Yellow then why didn't you tell me?!" I shout.

"Because that'd be invading her privacy! If she doesn't want people to know then why should I tell them? If she wants people to know then she'll tell them herself." Makes sense…

"I guess that's true…"

"It's just like with you; you two have a lot in common, you know! You just never took the time to look at the similarities." Because I've always been trying to deny them.

"Yellow's been acting differently these past several hours… Even _more _like me. Why?" She's been acting all giggly and all girly, which is something I rarely see from her.

"Because she's never had someone she can talk to about that kind of stuff. You were acting the same way as well; have you ever had someone to talk to about Red?" I suppose not.

"You're right. I'm absolutely relieved to know that she doesn't like Red! It lets me talk to her about him like best friends, not rivals."

"Then why did you hate her if you didn't want to?"

"Because I had to!" A weak response, but oh well.

"Because you_ thought_ she was going to take Red from you. You had no proof. Philippe, you have got to start judging people for their actions and not for any prior knowledge you have of them in this world. Yellow and Green are two prime examples of that."

"I guess you're right. Speaking of Green… what was up with him earlier?" I've been meaning to ask her that ever since it happened.

"That, I can honestly say, I have no idea! I knew Yellow was that way, but I never knew Green was as well! It just makes things more interesting with you, doesn't it?" Mew giggles.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Because it's funny! Someone who you thought of as a complete jerk is actually a complete perv and is going after you!" She giggles even more.

"Mew, why are you acting so girly yourself all of a sudden? Before, you were in counselor mode, now you're like a teenager gone crazy hearing about your best friend's new relationship! And by the way, we are _not _in a relationship!"

"Philippe, we've known each other for two and a half years now. That's even longer than you've known Red! Of course it'd eventually end up like that; being around someone for that long of a time every single night does that to a person. Even a Legendary. You see, other Legendaries aren't as interesting as humans are. There's few 'troubles' between us. And the only troubles that are there are usually catastrophic ones that effect the entire universe!"

"Speaking of the universe… How about we talk more about how it was created? It's been a long time since I last told you anything!" I think it was even before Red had left to fight Bruno!

"Alright! Last time we spoke it was about pokéballs, right?" How could she remember something from so long ago?

"I think so… About the one you gave me being one of the first created." I still have no idea what it has to do with me. I just keep it in my bag at all times.

"Yeah. So, the Guardians created the pokéball. The reason why they created the pokéball was to be able to contain the greatest power."

"'Greatest Power?' You mean that they weren't the greatest? Nor you?" Mew nods her head.

"There was one being who was more powerful than all of us combined. And do you want to know what the ironic part of it was?" This time I nod my head.

"It was the creation of all of us combined. We created a power even greater than ourselves." Yeah, that _is_ ironic.

"I don't think I'd want to meet this 'Power' if it's stronger than all of you combined…" Unless it's on my side. Then I'd like to meet it now.

"You might. Depends on how things go." How what goes?

"Wait… If you said that the pokéball was designed to contain the 'Greatest Power…' then does that mean that the pokéball I have in my bag…"

"Yep. It still holds that power. Although, the reason why I asked you not to bother with it is because it can't be opened right now. No matter what anyone's tried, over the courses of human and Pokémon existence, no one's been able to get it open. I guess it'll open when it's ready to be opened. But, who knows when that'll be? Even we, the ones who created it, don't know." Hm… Something even the Legendaries and Guardians don't know… And it's in my hands. Well, that just put more than the entire world on my shoulders.

"Don't think of it like that, Philippe. I gave it to you because I thought it'd be of help. Even though it's been closed for such a long time and no one's been able to get it opened, it still leaks out energy every now and then. Remember back in the Silph Company HQ?" Oh yeah… At the very end, before I blacked out, there was this huge flash of light…

"You mean the pokéball is what freed the Birds?" Mew nods her head.

"Mhm. Although, they thought it was you at the time, so they thanked you. I didn't have enough time to explain to them what was going on, so I just let it happen. I told them afterwards, though." I knew I couldn't have that much power! Wait… that's not a good thing.

"Philippe, remember. You came here when you were ten; you first interacted with Pokémon when you were ten. Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, and everyone else have all been around Pokémon since they were born. You don't have those experiences. You can't compare yourselves to them. You're actually doing quite well considering your circumstances."

"Thanks… So, is there anything else to the pokéball's origin that I should know?"

"Hm… well, the first pokéball was created to contain that power. Once the Guardians and Legendaries made their own creations after the original creation, the Guardians decided that Pokémon were too powerful and that there had to be a balance. So, they gave the humans copies of the original pokéball they had created in order to contain Pokémon inside of them." Doesn't sound really fair.

"But pokéballs are able to contain you Legendaries as well, isn't that right? If so, why are they able to do that? It doesn't sound really fair that the Guardians have power over you while you don't have power over them."

"Oh, don't worry about that. We have our ways of balancing that. Such as Pokémon only being caught if the human is stronger than it. That's why us Legendaries are rarely ever caught, and even when we are we aren't confined forever. Humans eventually grow old and die, and at that point the bond between us and the ball is broken and we're freed." That's good.

"Yes, yes it is."

…

And the awkward silence returns.

"Well, I guess that wraps things up for tonight. Don't forget to read the letter that Green gave you! It's really interesting." Dammit! I forgot! Wait… does that mean that she's already read the letter?

"Mew, have you-"

She forces me out before I can finish the sentence.

* * *

Author's Note:

Author's note at the end, yes. But, I have to ask. Am I moving things too quickly? I think I'm revealing everything at once... Read and review, please.


	41. On Board the SS Anne (Again)

Author's Note:

Here's to another chapter. I've been having way too much fun writing these past three chapters... hopefully I'll continue to have fun and write just as fast for the next couple. As always, read and review.

* * *

Alright. First thing's first: Read that letter.

The first thing I thought of after I woke up was: I have to read the letter Green wrote. Mew said it was "really interesting…" should I be scared?

I dig through my bag and eventually come across the letter, still unopened. If Mew had read it… never-mind.

I tear open the letter and take out the paper inside, reading it over.

"_Dear Philippe,_

_ I know that I acted strangely towards you back there, but there's a reason. I say stupid things when I have feelings for someone. You might be thinking, 'how many people could you have had feelings for when you're this young?' Well, it's just one. Red. He… didn't really like me that much, so I just gave up on him. I think the reason is because of what I said when I first met him. It was kind of like what I said to you._

_ Now I'm feeling guilty... I spoke with Red during the League match, while you two were fighting. That's when I acted all perverted towards him. He said that he didn't want to be dating a pervert like me. I guess he isn't what I thought he was after all…_

_There's one more thing I want to tell you. I know that this won't make up for the way I acted, but… If you really care for Red, if you really love him, then you should know… Red's into guys as well. Or, that's what I got from what he said. If he wasn't, first thing he would've said is that he 'wasn't that way.' He never said that. I just… want you to be with the one you love. I know I might've ruined any chance we had with what I said, but… If you gave me the chance, I'd really like to try to make it up to you._

_ Love, Green._

Green… has amazing penmanship for a guy.

…

Alright, I can't comprehend this at all. Last week Green was acting all perverted towards me, and now he writes that he loves me and that he "acts stupid when he's in love." I don't know how to think of him trying to get with Red while we were fighting… He even knew we were fighting at the time! It's like all of those times when one person tries to "comfort" the other while they're feeling down, just to get with them. At least I know Red isn't that easily persuaded… And Red! He's actually much more mature than I thought… at least in that way. That last part… Does Red really like guys? From what Green said, it makes sense that he would, but… The chance that he doesn't is the thing that scares me. That's why I've never told Red how I felt before. That, and because he was eleven when we were fighting Team Rocket. But… I just don't know what to think now. Is Green telling the truth, or is he just trying to use Red to get to me? Or worse… use me to get to Red?

"Philippe? Why are you up so early?" Yellow must've woken up sometime while I was reading the letter.

"Is that Green's letter? What does it say?" She says, suddenly perky.

"I'd… rather not say. It's… private." And I'd rather her not know that Green _really _"loves" me…

"I see." She gives the hint of a smile.

"So, why don't we go outside for a bit?" We've been stuck in here since we first got on the boat last night, so it'd be good to walk around for a bit. We both head out the door and onto the deck.

"It sure is calm here…" Much different than how the previous month has been.

"I could get used to this." Yellow sighs.

"If only you knew more of what I had gone through before Red went missing, you'd know that I'd need this much more than you do. You were chased and almost killed by Lorelei and the nerd, once each; I was chased and almost killed by Team Rocket for an entire year, nonstop." And I know that they're not done yet.

"Hehe… yeah. I have no idea what it must've been like. Having your life be in danger every single-" Yellow's interrupted as the boat tips to one side, knocking us off balance.

"What was that?" Yellow asks, surprised.

"Maybe the boat hit some rough waters? Or we bumped into something?" Another wave comes crashing into the boat and knocks it on its side, not quite over, but enough that the entire deck's covered with a layer of water.

That was surely not an accident.

Yellow and I quickly grab hold of the railings, keeping ourselves from falling overboard.

"Yellow, you think someone did this on purpose?" There's an obvious answer, but I'd like to have her opinion.

"It seems like the engine could be damaged… the boat's slowing down tremendously!"

"So, all we have to do is get to the engine room and fix whatever's broken, right?" I'm not mechanically inclined, so I have no idea how to do that. Hopefully Yellow does.

"Pretty much. Hopefully it isn't too damaged that it can't be repaired…" We make our way across the deck, to the other side and into a random door, hoping that it's the right one.

"Let's just hope they have a map of this place somewhere…"

And they do! We eventually find a map plastered on the wall with a giant "YOU ARE HERE" dot. Seems like… the engine room's just a floor below us, almost directly below.

We eventually find the stairs after minutes of searching and go down, making our way through the halls, slowly but surely, and we find the engine room without too much trouble.

"So the engine room really was damaged…" But by what?

"Hm… By the look of things, it was damaged by a Psychic attack. That means someone must've done this on purpose!" Looks like a bomb went off in here.

"Huh…?" …This isn't good. Being found at the scene of the crime.

"As I thought! A fiend has destroyed the engine room! Well then- What?" I really wish we hadn't been found. Especially not by this person. But, of course, with my luck it had to be. The leader of the Pokémon Fan Club. Joy.

"It's… you! The boy who was with that other boy!" Yes, that really differentiates me from others.

"How've you been?" He runs up to me and takes my hand, shaking it up and down.

"Ehe… good."

"Where's that other boy?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oh, that's fine. We have a bigger issue to deal with here! The engine room's been destroyed!" I never would've known!

"Philippe?" I turn to Yellow.

"Yeah?"

"There seems to be a bigger problem than just the engine room being destroyed."

"What is it?"

"There's a hole in the floor!" She points to the ground and there it is, a huge, gaping hole in the floor, letting in gallons after gallons of water.

She sends out Omanyte and has it use an Ice Beam to freeze over the hole. It's a temporary fix that'll soon be broken through, but it's a fix nonetheless.

"Yellow, the others on the ship are in danger as well. What do you think we should do?"

"Save them of course! Why wouldn't we?"

"Because we still have no idea who did this. It could be the Elite Four for all we know!" I really hope it isn't.

"Why would the Elite Four attack this ship?" There's a simple answer, really.

"Because we're on it."

"But how would they have found out?" They have their ways, Yellow.

"The Elite Four know practically everything. We can't underestimate their powers or their knowledge."

"But… We still can't abandon those people!" I nod my head and we both start heading back the way we came.

"Wait! Let me come with you!" I really don't want you to, but… fine.

"Just stay out of the way!" I shout behind.

We continue our way up and out of the innards of the ship, back to the deck. The ship seems to have evened out a little bit, however there's still water. Oh, look! A crowd of people!

"Hahaha! Don't tell us you forgot about Team Rocket!" Oh… Right. Red's supposed to have beaten Team Rocket twice in his life. Looks like this is the second group.

"What?! But… Team Rocket was supposed to have been defeated two years ago!" A guy in the crowd shouts.

"Well, I have to admit that we were defeated by three trainers from Pallet Town…" Four!

"But our surviving forces have been waiting for the chance to rise again!" Without Giovanni, Lt. Surge, Sabrina, and Koga, you're nothing.

"Didn't you know that there were three squadrons organized for each of the triad by three elite squadron leaders?" Three squadrons organized… each of the triad… three elite squadron… what? You know what, I'm just gonna think of it as them being lower than Surge, Sabrina, and Koga. Therefore, they're gonna be much easier than the members we've had to defeat before.

"Which would make us… what do you know? The leaders of those squadrons!" Still under Surge, Sabrina, and Koga.

"In short term, Team Rocket's Elite!" Elite compared to what?

"And in retaking the S.S. Anne, we will let our resurrection be known throughout the world!" Yeah, taking over one ship in one region will make you know world-wide.

"Philippe, we have to do something!" Yellow speaks up.

"Yeah. How about you go get their attention?" She stares at me in shock for a moment, then sighs.

"H-hey!" Yellow speaks up. Not really intimidating, but people turn none-the-less.

"We won't let you get away with this!" She says with a bit more confidence.

"And who exactly are you?" One of the three shouts over to us.

"We're the ones who're going to stop you." Don't know why I have so much confidence without Red. Normally, because of what happened before with Team Rocket, I'd be completely terrified, but… not this time around.

"Ha! You think that you, two kids, can be able to defeat us? Team Rocket's Elite?"

"Well, three kids managed to defeat Giovanni, Koga, Lt. Surge, and Sabrina. I think that two would be more than enough to defeat you." All three gasp.

"H-how did you know about that?"

"Everyone knows how Red, Green, and Blue beat Team Rocket. It's common knowledge."

"But no one knew the names of the leaders!"

"Hm… Well, it's not really known to many, but there was a fourth who was with them. Although, I didn't really fight much…"

"Wait… _you're _the kid who kept fainting with Red? You weren't anything but a burden! Why do you think that you'd be able to defeat us?" _Because _I was a burden. I have to prove to myself that I'm able to take on challenges without Red and win.

"I don't _think_ I'll be able to beat you. I know." Out comes Gengar, Pikachu, and Cubone, all ready to battle. Yellow motions to send out one of her own but I stop her.

"Yellow, let me do this. I wasn't able to do anything with Red, so I want to show myself that I can do this without his help." I say to her. She nods in understanding.

"Hm… your Pokémon seem to be highly leveled… but that doesn't mean that the trainer is strong!" The Team Rocket members send out their Pokémon, one by one. Ekans and Weezing. Hypno and Slowpoke. Voltorb and Electrode. Can they seriously make this any easier?

…I guess _someone _can. –CoughMewCough- Because for some reason, the boat's stopped rocking back and forth and the water begins receding back into the ocean… sea… body of water thing.

"Six against three. Seems unfair, don't you think?"

"You should know by now that if you want to win you never play fair!" Just like back on Earth.

I order all three of my Pokémon to attack theirs: Gengar using Psychic against Ekans and Weezing, Cubone using Bonemerang against Voltorb and Electrode, and Pikachu using Thunder on Hypno and Slowpoke.

The Psychic hits both Ekans and Weezing dead on, but they're still standing. The Bonemerang goes towards Voltorb and Electrode but they roll out of the way just in time to avoid being hit, including the Bonemerang's return trip. Pikachu's Thunder lands a direct hit on Slowpoke, knocking it out in one hit, but it completely misses Hypno.

In return, Ekans uses Poison Sting on Gengar while Weezing lets out a Poison Gas on the entire ship. The passengers cover their mouths, trying to not breathe in the fumes. Voltorb and Electrode both use a Sonicboom and send the blasts towards Pikachu, the sound waves being so powerful that they actually knock him back a few feet. The trainer who sent out Slowpoke returns it and has Hypno try a Hypnosis, ultimately failing.

"Philippe, the gases!" Yellow shouts.

"Yeah, yeah. You have any ideas on how to get rid of them? I'm kind of busy here." I have Pikachu use another Thunder on Hypno, missing again.

"Wait… No, never-mind! I have an idea of my own!" I have Cubone distract the two balls with Bonermerang, both easily dodging.

"Gengar, suck in the gases!" Since Gastly's made of 95% gases, Gengar should be primarily gas as well, right? And since he's part poison, the poison shouldn't affect him, right?

Gengar sucks in the poison while the other two Pokémon fight the five remaining ones. The poison gas is soon gone and Gengar seems to be fine, so I have him continue attacking. Gengar uses another Pyschic on Ekans and Weezing and the snake faints. Two down, four to go.

Hypno tries yet another Hypnosis, this time putting Pikachu to sleep. Voltorb and Electrode take this opportunity to roll in and attack him with more Sonicbooms. They hit and knock him back another few feet, somehow not waking him up.

This time Cubone uses Bone Rush and charges into the two balls, hitting them before they know what's happening, just having attacked Pikachu. Both balls are knocked overboard and into the water, their trainer returning them immediately after before they float too far out. Now all that's left is Weezing and Hypno.

Weezing floats over to Pikachu and uses another one of the most annoying attacks: Self-Destruct. It glows white for a couple seconds, then completely explodes. Pikachu's blackened after that, but relatively unharmed. I'd still like to get him checked out after…

I return him to his pokéball and have Gengar throw a Shadow Ball towards Hypno, the blast just touching the Pokémon. It does a bit of damage, but it wasn't a direct enough hit to do as much as it could. Cubone throws a Bonemerang towards it that misses on the initial throw but hits on its way back. I take this chance to have Gengar throw another Shadow Ball, this time hitting Hypno in the chest, knocking it back across the entire ship. Critical hit? Anyways, Hypno's down and the Team Rocketee's don't have any useable Pokémon left.

"H-how did we get beat by a kid?!"

"H-he wasn't even one of the three who beat our leaders!"

"He was the one who did nothing!" Hey! I did too do something!

"That just tells you how weak Team Rocket is now that your leader's gone. If what you're saying is true, then the 'Elite' of Team Rocket was beaten by a mere child!" I hate calling myself that, but it's the truth.

"Grr… Escape!" …Did he seriously say what he was going to do? Because it gives me a chance to stop them. I have Gengar use Hypnosis and all three are put to sleep.

"Well _that _was stupid of them." Yellow and the Fan Club's leader tie them up, the people on the ship all staring in shock.

"Uh… I think it'd be best for me to go." I quietly sneak out back while in doing so grabbing Yellow.

"Yellow, I think it'd be best if we got away from here. At least get back to the docks. I don't really want to be questioned by anyone about what happened here…" I don't really like being questioned about anything; even if it's something that personally happened to me, I'm scared that I'll get some of the details wrong.

"It's fine with me, but… how would we get off?" I show her by sending out Dragonair.

"But, Philippe! You said that Dragonair doesn't know how to use Surf!" Use Surf, yes. But does that mean that she can't swim on water? We're about to find out!

"If she can't hold us up, she can't hold us up. At least we'd still be near the boat, so they could throw us those life preserver things. And then we'd just paddle our way to shore!" I hop off the edge and land on the Pokémon, Yellow doing the same thing after watching me.

"I really don't think that this'll work!"

"Well, we'll just have to see about that! Dragonair, take us to the nearest docks!"

…

…

And Dragonair just floats there.

"Hm… Maybe she does need to know the move to be able to move with us onboard…" Seriously, why do Pokémon even need an HM for Surf? If they're Water Pokémon, or at least are able to learn the move, they should be able to Surf without knowing the move! Same with Cut, Strength, Fly, and any other HM there is!

"So, what now?" Maybe try to get back onto the ship? Speaking of trying to get back on…

The Club's Leader throws us a rope ladder and we climb back up.

"Trying to leave so soon? Haha! Well, looks like you two are gonna be stuck with me for a bit longer!" Oh, great…

* * *

"Land!" I guess Yellow really doesn't like being out on the ocean. She runs off of the boat and hugs? the ground.

"Being on a boat isn't _that _bad." She turns around and glares at me.

"But you weren't seasick even once!"

"Doesn't mean I like being on boats. Or anything that floats on water that can carry me on it."

"Oh, you two! Fighting just like you and Red!" How does he know how Red and I fought? I don't remember fighting when we first met him… we were too busy scared for each other's lives!

"Speaking of which, where is he?" Ah, great. Now I have to explain the entire situation. _Again._ When I'm done explaining the man's face shows shock.

"Red was _kidnapped?_" Yes, that's what I just spent the past half hour explaining.

"Yeah. We've been trying to look for him, but we haven't found any clues…" Oh… now that Green's gone, and that Yellow's my friend, should I show her Red's hat? Maybe… But, not in front of this man, at least.

"But… how could Red have lost to anyone? He's amazing! I mean, he even found out the mystery of Vermillion Harbor!" …Mystery?

"Um… Mr., what mystery?"

"Oh? I thought Red would've told you after you woke up!" Well, he didn't. And I'm curious as to what it is…

"Well, after Red had rescued you, he went to the Pokémon Center to wait. Nurse Joy eventually kicked him out, and that's when he came to me. I told him he could stay at the headquarters for the night. He agreed, but left straight afterwards. Later he told me that it's because he saw some things at the bottom of the harbor while rescuing you." But… didn't Red say that Poliwrath had come back to rescue me? Did _Red_ rescue me? But, why'd he lie about it then?

"What he saw at the bottom were the elemental stones! These are rare stones that allow certain Pokémon to evolve, such as Poliwhirl into Poliwrath by using a Water Stone! He went back down, dove with Poliwrath, and retrieved three of these stones. The Fire, Thunder, and Water stones. However, there's more stones than just those three. So, what I'm thinking is that… Huh?" Yellow had gotten up and ran off, heading straight for the harbor.

"What's gotten into her?"

"I think she's gone to go fish for the other stones that you think are down there. I think I should go with her as well. Goodbye!" The man stares for a couple seconds, then calls back, but I just ignore him, running after Yellow.

We both reach the harbor at around the same time and Yellow takes out her fishing pole.

"So, you're planning on fishing for the stones?"

"Yeah! Say… could you send out Dragonair? Just in case some Pokémon end up tangled in the line." Wouldn't she want to free them?

"Not all Pokémon are as peaceful as ours… Some live to fight, some fight to live." Ah.

I sit there waiting for about an hour until the line wiggles a little.

"I think I've got something!" Yellow gets up and pulls back on the rod, fishing out a Tentacool.

"Aw… how cute!" She thinks Tentacool are cute? What strange tastes.

She continues fishing for another hour, this time fishing out dozens of more Tentacool.

"Why are there so many Tentacool?" She sighs in frustration.

"Well, where there's Tentacool, there's bound to be a-" And as if on cue, a huge Tentacruel comes crashing out of the waves. Go figure.

"Wahhhh!"

"Dragonair, Dragon Rush!" Dragonair charges towards the Tentacruel, emitting a blue fire that remains even while underwater. Dragonair slams its entire body into Tentacruel, the flames licking at its body and appendages. Tentacruel returns the favor by wrapping its tentacles around Dragonair's body, but she easily maneuvers out of the wrap by twisting and turning.

"Twister!" Dragonair begins swimming around and around the Tentacruel, picking up more and more speed, until all the water around the Pokémon is spinning, trapping Tentacruel inside the waves.

The Tentacruel tries to escape, but to no avail. Now he tries a different method of attacking: shooting his tentacles out of the twister and dragging us in with him! He drags both Yellow and I in, causing us to spin round and round as well. The Twister eventually comes to a stop due to Dragonair not supplying it with any additional power, thus allowing Tentacruel to bring us to wherever it is he wants to. He swims and swims, until eventually he comes to a stop in front of an underwater… cliff? I have no better word for it.

Yellow spots it before I do.

The Tentacruel lets us go when he reaches this spot, and immediately after Yellow begins swimming towards a spot near the rocks. As she gets near it I see what she's seen. There's a baby Tentacool trapped underneath some of the rocks. She does something completely unexpected and reckless and sends out Graveler to move the rocks. Doesn't she realize that Graveler's a huge _Rock? _Although… I still don't get how Rock is weak to Water. Same with how Water is weak to Grass. Oh well.

Graveler moves the rocks from on top of the Tentacool, and by this time I realize something: I haven't had trouble breathing underwater for much longer than I normally could stand. Normally, by this time I'd be unconscious. I'm feeling a bit woozy… but that's to be expected.

Yellow returns Graveler to his pokéball and begins slumping… oh no…

I quickly swim over to her and have Dragonair, who has been following me, swim underneath the girl, having her settle on her back. The Tentacruel moves one of its tentacles, motioning for me to follow. I get on Dragonair as well and she takes us to where the tentacle monster is bringing us: to an underwater cavern.

We surface inside the cavern and I take in a huge breathe of air. Now that I think of it… I was pretty close to passing out, wasn't I? I guess it was the adrenaline of almost being killed again that kept me conscious. I really didn't want to be killed by a huge tentacle monster.

I look around and see what the man and Red must've been talking about; I see a lone Leaf Stone on top of a pedestal… and the pedestal's way too big for just one stone. I'm guessing that the Thunder, Fire, and Water Stones used to be there as well. Red must've taken them for Eevee.

I wait a good ten minutes until Yellow begins to stir, coming back to consciousness.

"Yellow, are you awake?"

"Mhm… What happened?"

"You sent out Graveler to save the Tentacool, he did, you returned him, then passed out. I had Dragonair carry us both to this cavern; the Tentacruel showed us the way." I explain briefly.

"Ah… Wait… what's that?" Yellow looks beyond me and spots the pedestal.

"Yeah. That's what we originally came here for. I wonder how Red saw it from all the way up there… he couldn't have possibly seen into the cavern from outside of it!" Could there be a hole somewhere up top, allowing him to have seen directly down? I don't know.

"This is incredible…" Yellow says to herself.

"Yeah. Although, it'd be better if it weren't just rock…" It's just a huge rock underwater, containing a huge air bubble within. Not that much else.

"You just don't get it." I guess I don't.

* * *

It took some time getting back to the surface, but with the help and guidance of the Tentacruel we were able to make it. As soon as we surfaced the Fan Club Leader met us on dry land.

"Where have you two been?! I was worried sick!" Probably thought we had made off with the treasure.

"Well, we found the Underwater Dome you were talking about." His eyes shine at this.

"And?!"

"We found one of the four stones!" His eyes immediately dim.

"There was only one other stone? Oh well… they're probably in better hands with Red anyways…" He looks so disappointed… But the thought that he was probably going to keep them for himself or sell them makes me not feel sorry for him anymore.

"So, what are you going to do now? Continue to look for Red?" He changes the subject.

"Yeah, probably. I mean, that's the only thing we _can_ do, right?" Look for Red, and hopefully find him before too long.

"How about you two rest up at my place before heading off again? I'm sure you two are tired from that boat ride, as well as almost being drowned by that Tentacruel!" I don't know about Yellow, but I sure am!


	42. Wave-Riding

Author's Note:

Sorry about the delay, finals and such. Now that everything's over and done with, the updates should be coming in much faster. Hopefully. Read and review like always. Or not. Really, it's up to you. And you usually don't choose to review.

* * *

"Finally!" I literally throw myself on the couch and slump into the folds. I never thought I'd say it, but I'm actually glad to be back here. It might not be "better" than the Pokémon Center, but at least it's more homely.

"I thought we'd have to continue onto the next city without stopping." Even if you were willing to do that, Yellow, I wouldn't be.

"Stay here as long as you'd like! I only hope that you two will have luck finding your friend Red." So do I…

"Now, why don't you two go bring your things up to the guest room?" What things? All we have are the two bags that we carry on our backs! Never-the-less, we head upstairs.

"So, what do you think of him so far?" I turn to Yellow.

"He's… interesting." Interesting, to say the least.

"He's way too enthusiastic for me to be able to put up with him all the time. Red's enthusiastic about Pokémon, but in a different way than he is."

"Speaking of Red… why haven't we found any clues yet? I mean, we've run into the Elite Four twice, and we've even run into Team Rocket! They should've known something about him!"

"Even if they knew something about him, they wouldn't tell us. Although, Team Rocket didn't seem to know that he was kidnapped… they didn't mention it once. Knowing them, they would've said something about Red 'finally being taken down' by someone. They didn't."

We make our way into the room and lay down our bags.

"Well, let's see what we have right now." Yellow begins taking everything out of her bag that has anything to do with Red. Which isn't much. I begin digging through my own bag and take out the letter Bruno sent to Red, Red's glove that the Nerd had stolen, and… I hesitate for a second, but decide to take out Red's hat.

"W-where did you get that?!" Why are you so surprised Yellow? For all you know, I could've stolen it from his closet! He has like, what, a million of them!

"I found it while we were out training with Green. I didn't want to tell you about it back then because I knew Green would've had something to say to me. I back my decision even more now that I've read the letter… and no, I still won't tell you what it says. And because of the letter and Green 'liking me,' I guess I've just forgotten about it until now."

"How could you have forgotten to tell anyone about this?! This is… do you know how important this is?!" Obviously I do, or else I wouldn't have picked it up.

"Yes, I do. It means he's still alive." That gets her to settle down a bit.

"At least we know that much… But, a lot could've happened within the past week or so!" Way to bring me down.

"That's true… I'd prefer not to think about it like that. Best to be optimistic, you know?"

The hat's probably the best we're gonna get, so we stop searching through our bags for clues.

"Say, Philippe?"

"Yeah?"

"Aren't you going to pick up Pikachu?" I had left him with the old man whose house we're currently staying with before running off after Yellow, asking him to drop him off at the Pokémon Center.

"I think it'd be better if he stayed there overnight. He practically had a bomb explode in his face! Do you know what that does to a person… Pokémon… to a being?!"

"I guess you're right… I hope he's ok." Not as much as I do.

"When are you two going to go to bed?!" He's starting to sound like my mother.

"In a second!" I shout back to the leader. I really should ask him for his name sometime soon…

"I guess that's our clue to go to bed."

* * *

I guess there's a first time for everything. This time, instead of Mew immediately starting off the conversation, there's one huge gap of silence between when I entered and when the silence is actually broken. I think.

A couple minutes later, the silence still isn't broken. When's she gonna speak?

"Damn! I can't do it!" Mew starts bursting out in a fit of laughter.

"Can't do what?"

"Can't get you to talk first! I wanted to see if my being silent would get you to talk, but it wasn't working!" That's because I really have no idea what we're supposed to be talking _about. _

"Well, now that you _are_ talking, what's there to say?

"Let's talk about recent events, shall we? Like, for instance, the S.S. Anne!" I was almost certain she was going to ask about the letter first.

"Oh, and that!" I really hate when she does that.

"You have no say in the matter, so tough luck."

"Alright. About the ship… Wait, you already know what happened! Why do I have to tell you?"

"Because I like hearing it from you! And I can't read your thoughts and emotions. Well, only when you want me to. Which is almost never."

"Fine. Team Rocket: Why are _they _here? I know they're supposed to be… but why are they supposed to be? Did they honestly think that stealing a ship would make them world famous? Resurrect the Team Rocket name? They were beaten by me. Me! Honestly, they should've started smaller."

"That's Team Rocket for you. Always 'going big or going home.'"

"And since I know you're dying to find out, the letter." Mew gives a little squeal of delight.

"Was Green being serious when he said that he liked Red?"

"Yep! He was being completely honest. Well, maybe only a little… He felt something for Red, that's certain. Was it love? Might be. Might not be. Depends on how you look at it."

"But is Green really that mature enough to…" I seriously can't think of Green, being thirteen, thinking that way.

"Didn't you think that way at that age? There was another before Red, correct?" You should know; you were the one who probed my memory when I first arrived here!

"Hehe… sorry again. Anyways, there was one before Red. You were only twelve when you found out about that person! Even younger than Green is now!"

"But Green was eleven when the league match happened and he went all perverted! If I remember correctly, eleven is younger than twelve."

"One year at that age doesn't make much of a difference."

"One year at that age _does _make a difference."

"Still! You were just as perverted as he was at that age!" I can't help but blush, helping her in her argument even more.

"See? And you're even worse with Red!"

"That isn't true!"

"Want me to show you?" I have no idea what she plans on "showing" me, but I'm almost certain that I don't want to see it, so I give in.

"Fine…"

"Don't worry Philippe. Red _is _cute, after all. And just you wait until he hits puberty!" What's gotten into her?

"Nothing!" Yeah… she's normally bipolar. Or tripolar. Or… however many polars.

"I am not!"

"Point proven."

"Gah! Well, how about you? You go from being happy and excited one moment to being depressed and worried the next!" _You _try having your life be risked every single day of your life!

"I've already been there." Oh…

"Don't worry about it."

"Anyways, speaking of worrying… shouldn't you be worrying about your Pokémon?" I just remembered about Pikachu… I can't believe that I could've forgotten about him so quickly! Again!

"Mew… how do my Pokémon feel about me? I've been worrying about them nonstop, with all of the injuries that they've been receiving from battling for me. I've also been worried about them not really having faith in me, them not being close enough with me… I _want _to be close to them, but… Everything's moving so quickly! I know that it's a poor excuse, but it's true!" It's a poor excuse, but it's the only one I have.

"Well, why don't you ask them yourself?" Ask them… myself?

"Yeah! Don't think that only Legendaries can pop in and out of your head!" What, is my head open to anything and anyone who wants to come in?

"Only if I let them!"

"And why is it only if _you _let them? Shouldn't I have a say of what goes in and out of _my _mind?"

"Nope!" Well, that makes about as much sense as everything else she's told me.

"But seriously. Do you want to talk with them? They'd appear in the same form that I'm in, so they can talk to you back." It's tempting… I've always wanted to know how my Pokémon feel about me. Although, I'm also scared… what if they absolutely hate me?

"Well, that's the risk you're going to have to take."

…

"Fine." Mew snaps her fingers and there's a bright flash of light. After the light fades, three figures appear in my vision. One short, one medium height, and one tall.

"I present to you the three members of your team that have been with you through thick and thin, through good times and bad… Pikachu, Cubone, and Gengar!" The figures begin to focus and I can see their distinct outlines now. The small one's the height of a child, still with his bone over his head, the medium one's the height of a teen –average height– and has a yellow tail, and the tall one's… floating?

"Go on, speak!" Mew encourages them.

"I don't think they know how… I'm fairly certain that it's not every day that you get sent into someone else's mind being able to speak, when you've never been able to before."

"Oh, no. It's not that at all. These two just don't know what to say. Hi! You should know who I am, so I'll spare the introductions. I just want to know _why _we're here." The floating one says.

"Philippe here doesn't think that he's giving you three enough time and attention and that you don't like him. Is that how you feel?" Mew explains.

"No!" Looks like Cubone's speaking up now.

"I didn't think you could actually talk." Gengar comments.

"You mean you can talk with each other out of my head?" Probably in that way that all animals communicate; I have no idea how they do it, I just know they do.

"Obviously. Cubone just hasn't said anything since you picked him up."

"I-I can still hear you!" He squeaks again.

"We know you can." Gengar turns to Pikachu.

"And you. Why haven't _you _said anything yet?"

"You two have been talking; I didn't want to interrupt."

"Well, what do you think about Philippe's dilemma?"

"It's not really a dilemma. It's just a thought of his. A completely irrational thought at that. Philippe, take into account that we, as Pokémon, are able to sense human emotion better than humans themselves can. It's like that saying… 'It can smell fear.' We can sense emotions much better than any other creature can. I could sense your worry earlier today. If you didn't care, you wouldn't have shown any emotion. At least, not the emotion you _did _show." For a Pokémon, Pikachu sure can talk a lot.

"You were also the one that saved me!" Cubone chirps, running up to me.

"I guess you could say the same for me." Gengar agrees.

"If I didn't want to stay with you, I would've left a long time ago." Pikachu seems much more… mature – If Pokémon can even be mature – than I thought he would be.

"So, you three don't think I haven't been paying enough attention to you?"

"Well, a little more attention couldn't hurt. But we know what you're going through right now, with Red and everything. At least I do. I was there with him, remember?" Speaking of that…

"Pikachu?" Now it sounds weird talking to my own Pokémon.

"Do you remember anything that happened with you and Red before you left him?" It's completely off topic, but I have to ask before it's too late. Currently, he's the closest link I have with Red besides Mew, and I know that _she _isn't going to tell me anything.

"I'm afraid not. Like you've said, I've been trying to 'block the memories.' I don't really remember much of what happened before you found me."

"That's alright… It was a long shot anyways. I just really miss Red…"

Like long ago, my Pokémon come in to comfort me. Cubone… Pikachu… and Gengar. The three friends that I've had for the longest time, the three friends that are almost as close to me as Red is. They're the ones who've saved me time and time again, they're the ones who've always been with me, even when Red and I were fighting. They've never let me down, they've always been there for me. I… really need to appreciate them more.

* * *

I wake to the sound of tiny feet running across the floor.

I turn around in my bed just to be attacked by a flying yellow object the size of an overgrown mouse. Pikachu decided that now would be a great time to wake me up and he starts licking my face all over.

"Pikachu…" I guess that talk really did help. At least now I have a much clearer head.

"I picked him up for you while I was at the center." Yellow speaks up.

"Thanks. He looks to be fine now. Looks like my worrying was for nothing!" And I'm thankful for that.

"Yeah… So, where do you suggest we go now? I'd like to get out of here… you're right. That man _is _creepy." I told you!

"I know for me, I'm _not _getting back on that boat. Both times I went aboard Team Rocket was there to ruin it!" That boat just had bad luck written all over it.

"Then, how'd we be able to cross the sea without getting on a boat?" Good point…

"Well, there can't just be _one _Surf HM, can there? There's bound to be more around here somewhere… it _is _a port city, after all. We just need to look!" But where…

"Where do you suggest we start looking then?" I'm getting to that!

"Probably around the sea. It's a Water type move, the sea's full of water; it's the perfect place!"

"Yeah, you're probably right. Let's get going!"

* * *

"No luck?"

"Nothing."

We've been at this for the past hour, finding nothing but sand, sand, rocks, sand, and more rocks. Nothing that even shines like an HM! Or even a TM for that matter!

"Well, we'll just have to keep looking then!" I march off in the opposite direction and begin looking in a new area when Yellow calls out to me.

"Philippe…?"

"Yeah?"

"You should come take a look at this…" Did she find it?

"Did you find the HM?" I turn around and…

Nope.

She didn't find the HM.

Instead, she found a huge tidal wave that's about to crash into us.

Just. My. Luck.

The wave comes crashing down on us and knocks us all off our feet, throwing us back against the sand. After the water recedes back into the ocean we're able to stand up. I take a look around and see that Yellow seems to be fine herself, then… Ah, great. Him. Yellow and I both walk over towards the Swimmer.

"Are you ok?" Does the way that his leg's bent seem ok to you?

"Does it look like I'm ok?" Good, we're both thinking alike. Yellow sends out Caterpie and has him use String Shot to bandage the wound.

"It still hurts, but it's better. Thanks."

"So, what were you doing out there?" Yellow asks the boy.

"I was practicing for this!" He pulls out a flier from who knows where. It shows that there's going to be a surfing contest… tomorrow? Well, that sure is short notice. Too bad Dragonair doesn't know Surf.

"So, are you two competing as well?"

"I'd like to, but none of my Pokémon know Surf." I explain.

"Well, can any of them learn it? Cause you could use mine if you wanted to." Well, that's one problem solved. Now all I have to do is learn how to use the move.

"I have one right here." I send out Dragonair and he gives a little gasp.

"Hey! That's the Pokémon that's the grand prize for the contest!" So, if I won I'd have two Dragonairs? That'd mean two Dragonites… Well, that does it. I'm gonna enter the contest and I'm gonna win! Hopefully…

"Yeah. I caught her a while ago, but she still hasn't evolved!"

"Maybe she doesn't want to evolve?" Not all Pokémon don't want to evolve, Yellow. In fact, most of them do!

"Heh… well, good luck to you! I really wish I could participate."

"Why can't you? You just told us that you were practicing for the contest."

"Well, even with you bandaging my leg, it still hurts too much for it to be of any use during the contest. So, good luck!"

* * *

After carrying the Swimmer back to the Pokémon Center and teaching Dragonair Surf, we head back to the beach to get in some training of our own. I wonder how this'll turn out? Hopefully it'll be a lot different from me trying to swim with Red. That went just horribly!

"Alright. Now, the same thing we did before, Dragonair, except this time, we're actually going to swim, alright?" I talk to the Pokémon. She nods her head and takes off from the beach.

"Alright, this is good… How about you pick up some speed?" Dragonair takes my words to heart and speeds up a bit too much, at least for me being comfortable.

"Philippe, don't you think you should slow down?" I hear Yellow shout from the shore.

"Yeah, how about it Dragonair?" I don't think she heard me, because all she does is continue to pick up more speed!

"Dragonair!" She eventually does a loop and begins racing back towards the beach, still picking up even more speed. When she reaches the shore she comes to a dead stop, throwing me several feet past the shore line and onto the sand. At least the sand's soft...

"Philippe, are you alright?" Yellow asks as she makes her way to me.

"Yeah… At least it's not as bad as the other guy's. He was thrown dozens of feet from the air down into the ground!" It hurts a little, but nothing that can't be handled with an hour or two of rest.

"So, looks like speed won't be an issue. All Dragonair needs to work on is how to stop." I emphasize those last words and Dragonair looks down.

"Aw… I'm sorry. I know you must've been having fun, but you'll be able to swim as fast as you want when I'm not on you, alright?" Dragonair looks back up and has as much of a smile as a Pokémon can on her face.

"It's like that with all Water Pokémon. The first time they get into the water, they just can't help themselves." But Dragonair's not a Water Pokémon! Yes, she can swim, but she's not part Water.

"I think you two have a pretty good chance at winning this thing! Even if you're thrown at the end of it, as long as you make it past the finish line you'll win. I've never seen a Pokémon with so much speed before…"

"I honestly never knew she could go that fast!"

"That's because she's never had the chance to. As long as you give your Pokémon a chance, they'll perform to the best of their abilities. Well, that's if they like the trainer." I'm not sure how much Dragonair likes me then. For one, she swam the fastest I've ever seen possible, but for another, she _did _throw me off at the end… Not her fault, though.

We hear a bell in the distance and the Swimmer gives a short gasp.

"That's the warning bell for the race! Come on, follow me!" I return Dragonair to her pokéball and the Swimmer leads us through Vermillion City and to the harbor where everyone's getting ready for the race.

"Do they have sign-ups anywhere?" That probably would've been a good question to ask before I started training.

"Nope! All you do is show up!" That doesn't sound very safe. Or legal. Speaking of legal… is there any legal system in Kanto? I see police officers everywhere – not one single Officer Jenny, strangely enough – but I've never seen a single Police Station. Maybe they're underground? Something to think about.

"Alright then! Good luck!" He's been saying that quite a lot lately.

I run up to the starting line and send out Dragonair, earning a few gasps from the crowd as well as the other contestants.

"Looks like a last minute arrival! You cut it pretty close there, boy." You don't have to tell me twice.

"Now that everyone's here, I guess we can get started!" The crowd cheers and the announcer waits for them to settle down.

"Welcome back everyone! The Vermillion Beach Wave-Riding Contest is about to begin! Now, before we start, I think I should remind everyone what the grand prize is! This!" He tosses a pokéball onto a wooden platform and out pops a second Dragonair. The crowd oohs and aahs again.

"Since you're all so interested in the grand prize, how about I give you all a demonstration?" The crowd goes wild once more.

"Alright!" The Dragonair jumps into the water and begins surfing, picking up speed as it gets farther and farther from the docks. Eventually the Dragonair begins to slow down… huh?

"Wait just a moment, folks. It appears something's wrong!" You don't say?

Both Yellow and I look out towards the ocean to see the clouds rolling in, the sky darkening, the waves rising… becoming more and more violent, crashing into the docks! The water drags all the Pokémon out to sea and even drags some of the swimmers who were standing too close to the edge! Gotta get her out of there… I take out my pokéball to return Dragonair but not quickly enough. The water drags both Yellow and I in, along with the rest of the swimmers.

Dragonair meets us before we're swept too far away and we climb onto her. Thank goodness she knows Surf… The other Dragonair, on the other hand, has stopped moving altogether. It looks… different, somehow. A closer look reveals that it's not just Dragonair out there, but that there's someone standing on the Pokémon. It's… Oh no…

The clothes…

The hair…

The eyes…

The cape…

It's… Lance!

* * *

Just as a note, I know I wrote the Swimmer differently. I just can't get my mind wrapped around his "normal" way of talking (Which isn't really normal).


	43. Enter the Dragon Trainer

"Who's that on top of Dragonair's head?"

"That's my business." And mine too, bastard! How dare you kidnap Red!

I never thought that I'd end up meeting Lance so soon. I thought I had at least a few more months left! Meh, I always knew that it was inevitable, that I'd eventually have to face him.

"Hyper Beam." Oh my god, Lance. You don't just Hyper Beam people!

The Hyper Beam is directed towards… Vermillion City. It completely levels one portion of it. Including all the buildings, houses, towers, everything, really. Alright, that's it. Lance has kidnapped Red, and that by itself is something to be angry about and be seeking revenge/vengeance for. But now _murdering_ all of these people?

"Where are you!? Come out!" Is he… looking for someone? Yellow asks the same question. It can't be Red… He's already captured Red! Unless my previous thoughts are true and he has escaped.

"Moved on already, hmm? Ah, well… Let's go, Dragonair." Alright, Lance just waltz in here, blows up a town, calls out for whomever he's looking for, then leaves less than a minute later? Seriously! What's up with him!?

"Philippe! We have to go after him!" Yellow, are you seriously thinking right now? Even if she doesn't know that Lance is Lance… he just blew up part of Vermillion!

"I know you want to make him pay for what he just did, but do you honestly think that we're strong enough to beat him? You saw what he did!"

"It doesn't matter! All of those people… We have to try!" There's no sense in trying to get Yellow to change her mind, so I eventually give. Wow, I've been doing that a lot lately, haven't I?

I have Dragonair pick up speed to beat the other Dragonair's. Slowly but surely we begin catching up. Eventually Lance realizes that he's being followed and he turns around, giving us a small grin.

"So, you two have decided to pursue, haven't you? Why?"

"Why did you destroy the city?!" Yellow shouts back.

"I was looking for something and the buildings were blocking my view." That's not a really good answer, Lance. And I don't think Yellow will be taking it very-

"Just that… you destroyed… countless people and Pokémon…" I knew it.

"They didn't die." …What?

"The Surfing Contest is quite the event for Vermillion City. The city should've been empty. Well… a trainer or two might have bit the dust, but… heh. And of course, since you two have followed me…" Uh-oh…

"You'll have to die too!" Lance's Dragonair begins to charge towards us, somehow keeping Lance steady as ever on top of its head. His Dragonair knocks into mine, throwing us off balance. We recover quickly, but soon another headbutt is delivered.

"I knew Team Rocket used Pokémon for evil, but this is just…" I know Yellow, I know. Lance is nothing like Team Rocket. He's much worse.

"'Evil?' I never knew that what I was doing was 'Evil.' Think about it. If you were a Pokémon, would you like being kept as a pet, suffocating in a city like that?" Lance takes a break in head-butting us to deliver the first part of his speech.

"Human good and Pokémon good are diametrically opposed! All humans on Earth, except for elite trainers, must be destroyed!" Oh, so this planet is called Earth as well? Good to know. Also… what does diametrically mean?

"That is the mission of Lance of the Elite Four!" Sticking to Villain Stereotypes, aren't we? Shouting to the world your name. What, are you gonna tell us your entire plan now? Well, you sorta did already with the "All humans on Earth, except for elite trainers, must be destroyed!"

"Dragonair, grab them!" Lance's Dragonair delivers one last headbutt, knocking us off of my own Dragonair, then dives towards us, wrapping its body around us tightly. It then begins to… "climb" the sky?

"We're… floating!" I guess so, Yellow. But… how?

"Of course. Dragonair can swim the skies just like the seas." Good to know for future reference.

"And it is my gift… to control the power of the Dragons!" Well, you're not gonna control my dragon, that's for sure.

All of a sudden the sky grows even darker, even more violent than before, and thunder clouds begin to roll in, lighting the sky with their flashes of light.

"Thunder and Lightning… did his Dragonair cause this?!" Yellow directs to no one in particular.

"Do you see the power I wield? Even the sky obeys my every whim! The Elite Four and our allied trainers are all the humans the world needs!" I'm guessing that now would be a good time to stop him, before this gets even more out of hand.

"Dragonair, do something!" What? I have absolutely no idea what I should be having her do in this situation; Pokémon have a much better intuition at things like these.

Just as I thought, my own Dragonair begins charging a beam from the tip of its horn, Lance's Dragonair following in example soon after. Eventually, both charges are fully loaded and each let out a Hyper Beam. The Hyper Beams collide and cause an overly dramatic explosion to take place at the area of impact. Lance's Dragonair loses hold of us while my own rushes underneath, catching us.

"That's one problem solved… now for the other." Well, I know that this probably won't work… But considering the weather… I decide to take a chance with Pikachu. With the thunder and lightning out, as well as the rain causing everything – and everyone – to be soaking wet, Electric attacks will probably be much more effective than anything else right now.

"Hmm?" Lance exclaims. I order Pikachu to use Thunder on his Dragonair. It hits it head-on, but doesn't seem to do much damage. That's to be expected of a Dragon type. At least it stunned the Pokémon for a little bit, giving me the time I need to have Dragonair ready her next attack.

"That Pikachu…" Uh-oh… did he realize it already?

"That Pikachu's the one that Lorelei and Agatha were after! Lorelei's such a perfectionist, she couldn't live with the thought of that Pikachu running free! You did the same with Agatha as well! So… you're the one who was traveling with Red before, hm? Philippe?" Of course, I'm always known as "The one with Red." I'm never known for _me. _Although, what have I done by myself that's worthy of recognition?

"Lorelei and Agatha would both be extremely grateful if I handed them Pikachu… but, you know what? I really couldn't care less. Dragonair!" Lance's Dragonair readies another Hyper Beam while my Dragonair's attack's finished charging. Dragonair unleashes a Dragon Rage, flames dancing around the bodies of both Dragonair, from mine to his. It does more damage than the Thunder had done, but his Dragonair's still charging the Hyper Beam! The Rage didn't even faze it!

"Hah! You call that an attack?!" His Dragonair launches his second Hyper Beam, blasting both Yellow and I off of Dragonair once again. Pikachu flies from Dragonair's horn and is knocked into the water as well. That really brings up a good question… How was Yellow, Pikachu, and I not damaged from Dragonair's Dragon Rage? Is there no such thing as "Friendly Fire?" Another question that I have to keep for the next time I speak with Mew, I guess.

"Now I'll show you a real attack! Dragonair, Dragon Rage!" A real attack? But, doesn't Dragon Rage always do forty damage? I think he's too into himself right now. Hopefully that'll be his own downfall.

"Attack!" The flames dance across the sky as they reach us, completely engulfing Dragonair, Yellow, and I. The flames don't quite reach Pikachu, as he was thrown much too far away to be hit. We're all blasted underwater.

Normally, I wouldn't be able to open my eyes at all underwater for fear of getting water in my eyes. This time, however, I'm able to open my eyes and see all around me. Is it part of Dragonair's powers reaching me? Anyways, Yellow's eyes are closed and she's drifting even faster towards the bottom of the ocean. Gah… what should I do?! I've never been good in stressful situations…

"Alright, Philippe? I know I shouldn't be doing this… but you've really got yourself into a situation here." …Mew? How am I able to communicate with her without being in my mind?

"I _am_ in your mind; that's how we're communicating. Telepathy. Now, I only have a short amount of time left. I don't want to be found out by Lance. The situation you got yourself into is this: You two are underwater, almost drowned, and you have no idea how to get yourself out of this situation. Even if you were able to get out from underwater, how're you going to stop Lance from blasting you all to pieces? I know I really shouldn't be doing this… But I'll give you help. Philippe, use the power of Pikachu's Substitute. It's a move you wouldn't normally use, so that's why you didn't think of it." That's right… something about the copy repelling the water or something? Dammit, why didn't I think of that before?!

"Because it's been a good two or three years since you last heard of it."

"Mew, if you said that we were almost to the point of drowning, why aren't we drowned now?"

"With a little help from Celebi." Isn't Celebi the Time-Travel Pokémon though? Dialga's the one that has the power to control time.

"Yes, but Celebi still has enough power to control time itself. She's just not as powerful as Dialga is when it comes to that matter. That's why we have such a short amount of time. So don't interrupt!"

"But… why are you helping me now? You haven't helped me up to this point!"

"Call it… a cheat code, of some sorts. I'm going to help you get out of this situation you've gotten yourself into. I'm only going to be here once, though, so make sure you don't mess up again. I'm already risking enough as it is doing this…" And just like that, the presence of the pink Pokémon disappears, and time seems to "resume" around me. Two questions remain: What does Mew mean by "I'm already risking enough?" and how to get Pikachu to use Substitute without being able to talk…

Think… think… think!

Wait… if Mew was able to use telepathy between her and I… would I be able to use telepathy between Pikachu and I? But Mew's a psychic Pokémon… That wouldn't work with Pikachu!

I decide to just swim to Yellow myself and drag her up above the water. I'm sorry Mew, but even with your help it won't work! I can't get Pikachu to understand what I want him to do if I can't speak!

Pikachu begins helping me drag her up as much as he can, and Dragonair's now coming back to her senses a little. Once Dragonair's completely recovered, she pushes us the rest of the way. That's good… I was getting tired from the lack of oxygen.

Dragonair pushes us above the surface of the water and I take a deep breath.

"So, looks like you all have survived, huh? Well, congratulations. You're going to be alive for the next… minute? Two minutes? Whatever. You've only prolonged the inevitable."

Yellow begins to stir and mumbles something incoherently.

"Pikachu, try using Substitute." I whisper to the mouse. Hopefully even without using it when Mew intended for me to use it it'll still work in the way that it was supposed to work originally.

Pikachu creates the copy of itself, and the copy begins repelling water, just like I thought it would.

"What are you doing down there?" I have Dragonair charge one last Hyper Beam to buy me some more time. Lance decides to have his Dragonair do the same.

"Pikachu, can you control your copy?" Pikachu responds by moving its copy, having its real body remain completely still.

"Good. Could you change its form as well?" The copy begins to melt into a shapeless glob. Good.

"Could you change it into a surfboard?" Pikachu does just as I asked, and the Substitute changes its form into a surfboard. Alright… that's even better than I had hoped.

The Dragonairs' Hyper Beams are almost ready to be launched… I don't have much time left. Alright. How about I just begin to run away with Pikachu and Yellow while Dragonair's distracting Lance, then when we're a safe enough distance – not too far away – return Dragonair to her pokéball and continue to surf away? No… Lance would definitely catch up to us that way. Dragonair's too weak to be able to outspeed his. What to do… what to do…!

Maybe this would work…

"Pikachu, could you work both your Substitute and your real body at the same time?" Pikachu moves its real body and the Substitute at the same time, just like I asked, although the movements are a bit jerkier.

"That's good enough. Pikachu, could you have your Substitute surf Yellow as far away from here as possible? You, Dragonair and I will try to finish Lance while Yellow's as far away from here as possible…" I only hope that I'll be able to. Pikachu takes Yellow onto the surfboard form of the Substitute and begins self-propelling itself. The two Dragonairs have finished their Hyper Beams – Wow, those things take a long time to charge – and fire them both at the same time, causing another explosion where the two collided.

"Alright, Pikachu, now's our chance! Jump onto Lance's Dragonair and give it the biggest shock you can!" Pikachu jumps into my arms and I give the strongest throw that I can possibly give – which isn't that strong, mind you – and he propels himself the rest of the way using a little electricity. Once Pikachu's close enough to the recoiling Dragonair, he lets out a burst of electricity. Not in one straight shot towards the Dragon, not in a shot towards the clouds as thunder, but just a burst of electricity, kind of like an explosion; it bursts forth from every direction, hitting everything in the vicinity, completely stunning Lance's Dragonair. Lance's Dragonair then begins falling from its position in the sky, hurtling towards the water, Lance still on top of it.

"So, you're more than I expected… Heh. I guess that's a mistake I won't be making in the future. I shouldn't have underestimated you…" Lance begins talking to himself.

"That was… fun. I hope you'll be even more entertaining the next time we meet… Philippe." Lance doesn't even try to jump off of his plummeting Pokémon. He remains on top of Dragonair's head until the Pokémon crashes into the waves below, becoming completely submerged in the water. I can no longer see either Lance or his Pokémon.

* * *

Even though Pikachu isn't a Water type, and even though Pikachu's copy isn't Pikachu himself, it sure can travel fast. Especially considering that Pikachu had to control both itself _and _its copy at the same time. It took a good half-hour, give or take a few minutes, to catch up with the Surfboard. When I finally caught up to it, Yellow was already awake and just going along with whatever was going on. Which she really had no choice but to do, otherwise she'd fall overboard.

"Philippe!" She shouts as soon as I come into view.

"Just wait a bit, alright? Get on Dragonair when you think you can jump." I pull Dragonair alongside the Surfboard and have her maintain the same speed, allowing Yellow to jump. She does this and makes Dragonair wobble back and forth a bit, but not too much to have me fall off myself.

"So, what happened after I was knocked off?" I explain to Yellow everything that had happened, from me having Pikachu use Substitute to get her away to Pikachu completely exploding, blasting Dragonair and Lance into the ocean.

"What an idea, using Pikachu's Substitute like that. How'd you come up with the idea?" Well, a Legendary Pokémon that's been communicating with me ever since I was teleported into this world from a different universe suddenly popped into my head and reminded me what happened in the story that I had read back in my world that's exactly what's happening to us right now. Yeah, that'd go well.

"When I was travelling with Red, I used to study the PokéDex as often as I could to make sure I'd be ready for any situation. Looks like it came in handy." It's not a _total _lie.

"Yeah, it sure did. So… where do you think we should head next? Lance is at the bottom of the ocean now, so he shouldn't be a problem." I wish. But, seriously. Where _should _we head?

"How about let the currents take us wherever they want to? We have no clues as to where we should go next, so how about hoping for the best?" It's really the only option we have at this point, so Yellow agrees.

We continue surfing for a little while longer until we spot something in the sky.

"Is that a Pokémon?" Yellow points up. Yes, yes it is a Pokémon. A Farfetch'd, actually.

"It looks hurt. Why don't you go help it once it gets low enough?" And it's getting low fast.

"Dragonair, could you go a bit faster, please?" Dragonair happily does just that and goes a bit too fast for my comfort once more, but we make it with barely enough time to spare before the Farfetch'd would've hit the water.

"Are you alright?" Yellow, the poor bird just fell from the sky. That should be an indication that it's not alright at all.

"I think it'd be best if we head for land for now. We won't be able to help it on the water like this." Yellow calms the bird down as we head towards land.

* * *

"You're really going to ask the bird what happened?" I still have no idea how Yellow can talk to Pokémon outside of an area such as my mind, and that's still without the help of Mew! I know it has something to do with her being born in Viridian, but… meh. Yellow continues on talking with the bird.

"Philippe, it says that it was attacked and ran out of its nest in this forest." Lucky for us, we chose the same piece of land that the bird was talking about to land on.

"It says… that the forest attacked it?" That doesn't sound strange at all.

"Looks like we'll just have to take a look to understand what it means, don't we?"

"I guess so."

We walk for a good ten minutes, Yellow being smart enough to have Caterpie String Shot the occasional tree to mark where we've been. It didn't work, however, because at the end of the ten minutes we're back to where we started.

"But… what? We marked every tree that we passed and we're still at the beginning?! How's that possible?"

"Looks like this forest isn't as it seems."

"Something doesn't feel right… it feels as if we're being watched." Good. I wasn't the only one. It's felt like we've had eyes staring at us ever since we first got on this island.

Suddenly something hits me on the back of the head and I'm knocked down to the ground.

"Philippe! What was that?" If I knew then I'd be doing something about it!

"Was I seriously just hit by a coconut?" I look next to me and there it is: a perfectly round coconut, just a bit bigger than the bruise that's forming on the back of my head.

A second later a second coconut's flying towards Yellow's head, knocking her down next to me.

"Wah! Where are they coming from?!"

"Don't you think that those palm trees with coconuts growing from their branches look like a likely candidate?" More and more coconuts fly at us, forcing us off the ground and to run away.

"Yeah! But… who could be throwing them? It's not as if the trees could throw the coconuts by themselves!" Actually, it is as if. The trees begin walking towards us and it hits me: Exeggutor. Or it could've been another coconut that hit me. Either way we continue running.

"Exeggutor, Yellow, the Coconut Pokémon. We _were _walking in a straight line, and your Caterpie _was_ shooting its web in a straight line. The Exeggutor were just moving, altering the layout of the forest. _That's _why it seemed like we were walking in circles!" Now it all makes sense!

Yellow sends out Doduo and motions for me to mount.

"Hop on!" I do just that and Doduo rushes us out of the forest of moving trees. We end up on the edge of a cliff overlooking the rest of the forest, and it seems that it's not just Exeggutor that are moving; Oddish are as well.

"Philippe! What should we do?"

"I don't know! Something big must be going on to force all of these Pokémon to move as one like this."

"Should we call Professor Oak? He must know why they're moving together! Maybe it's their breeding season?" And just like that I resist the urge to hit myself. I could've called Professor Oak all this time? How could I have forgotten?! Oh well… I pull out my PokéDex and dial up the Professor.

"Philippe! Yellow! Why haven't you called earlier?! I was worried about you after hearing about the events with Lorelei, Agatha, that Nerd kid, and even more recently Lance!" Wow, news sure travels fast in the Pokéverse. It's only been, what? An hour? Two hours at the most? since our confrontation with Lance back in the city.

"I was told that our conversation might be intercepted…" By who?

"It doesn't really matter. All that matters is that you two are safe. Now, why have you called me? It must be something big." Yellow explains our situation to the Professor while I look over the ledge, observing the Exeggutor and Oddish.

"So, Exeggutor and Oddish are moving as a mass? That's strange… it's not their breeding season…" That disproves Yellow's theory.

"What could it be?"

"Maybe… Some Pokémon are very sensitive to the approach of natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, etc. But it couldn't be that… Our transmission hasn't been interrupted by anything of the sort. Maybe it's not a natural disaster they're sensing… But an _un_natural disaster!" Probably the Elite Four. Maybe even Lance himself is stirring up some trouble. Yellow doesn't think so, but I know that Lance couldn't have been kept down for long, even after being drowned in the ocean.

"Well, there's nothing you two can do about it right now. How about you two help that Farfetch'd that continuously walks in front of the screen?" Yellow picks up Farfetch'd and brings to a halt the walking.

"Yeah. We're gonna go do that now. Thanks, Professor!"

"Anytime, Philippe. Anytime." The transmission's cut off and we have the Farfetch'd lead the way.

* * *

"Poor Pokémon… the forest is completely gone!" All the Exeggutor have migrated away, leaving the once forest now completely bare. At least that made it much easier to find its nest. But… what'll it do for food now that the forest's gone?

"Now it's up to Farfetch'd itself to decide what it's going to do with its life. Should it travel to a new forest, one that's not made entirely of Pokémon, or should it remain here, hoping that it'll be able to find food and shelter until the trees grow, or until the Pokémon come back?" I'd hate to be given those choices. Although… in a way, I've already been given those choices back in Viridian Forest when I first met Red.

"Yeah… Speaking of shelter, it's getting pretty dark, isn't it? We should look for some ourselves." Yeah… Yellow and I get up and begin walking towards the now visible mountain on the other side of the island when all of a sudden the Farfetch'd gets up and begins walking as well.

"Yellow, I think that the Farfetch'd likes you." Is she finally going to get a new Pokémon? If she does, at least it'll keep her record going. The record of catching Pokémon without fighting them whatsoever. Except for her Raticate and Caterpie, but she was coached for both of those. Red and Green were the ones who really fought them. Yellow just gave the commands.

"You think so?" By the look on Farfetch'd's face, I think so.

"How about throwing a pokéball? If it breaks out, then he doesn't want to be with you. If it doesn't, then it does." Yellow throws a regular pokéball, it shakes three times then dims. Looks like Yellow's finally gotten a new Pokémon!

"Now we don't have to worry about what happens to the bird! We just have to worry about finding a cave somewhere along the outskirts of the mountain…" We approach the mountain after a few more minutes of walking and begin scouting the borders. We eventually find a cave, a small cave, but a cave nonetheless, and enter.

"Looks like this is the best we're gonna find…Yellow, how about you set up camp and I look for food." At that moment, something hits me. Not another coconut, but something else. Something people on Earth used to wonder a lot. I haven't seen a single wild "animal" for the past couple of years I've been here, and yet… I've eaten meat. Does that mean… I've eaten… Pokémon? Hopefully I'm wrong and have just not been lucky enough to see any of these said "elusive animals," but… I doubt it. Well, it's just like my mother said: When she was a girl, she had rabbit to eat. She absolutely loved the food… until she found out exactly what it was that she had eaten. I make a vow to never eat any mysterious meat I find on this planet until/if I find regular animals scurrying about.

Now I know how vegetarians feel.

* * *

I arrive back at the cave with whatever fruits and vegetables that I could find, which wasn't much, considering most of the fruits and vegetables had walked away with the Exeggutor and Oddish. I lay them out, prepare them, arrange them. I cook them, then Yellow and I eat. It isn't really filling, but at least it'll keep us going until we reach the next island. Hopefully.

"So, now that we're here, where should we head to next?" Yellow asks while settling down for bed.

"I don't think we can do this by ourselves… We've been helped every step of the way." Including the battle with Lance, but she doesn't know that.

"I think we should go see an old friend of mine. He's a friend of Red's as well, and he's also a Gym Leader! And you know how much help we've been getting from them. This one, however, I think can help us even more than the rest." Brock, Misty, and Erika have helped us the best they can, but I don't think that they can help us as much as this guy can. Four of the leaders work for Team Rocket, while this one is a previous member of Team Rocket. He should be able to help us in ways that, although not their fault, the others can't.

"His name is Blaine. We're heading to Cinnabar Island, Yellow."

* * *

Author's Note:

Let's try something new this time: Author's Note at the bottom of the page. So, there's nothing much to talk about besides the lack of reviews. Hint Hint Point Point. The box is right down there.


	44. Last Stop

"Is that it?"

"It sure is… Feels like only yesterday Red and I were here, running into Team Rocket and almost getting ourselves killed. Again." I honestly am amazed whenever I think about how long it's been since I was last with Red.

"Just a few more minutes and we should reach it." I just now remember that I've never actually been to the supposed "Town" on Cinnabar Island; I've just been to the outskirts and to Blaine's lab. Hm… I see a small groupings of buildings on one side of the island. Could that be it? Probably. I direct Dragonair towards the cluster of buildings and in no time we arrive at the docks.

"Alright. Now, where to go…" We head to the PokéMart first off and restock our supplies.

"Alright… Potions, pokéballs, antidotes, paralysis heals, burn heals… what else do we need, Yellow?"

"Probably food." Right. Instant food. Always good to be safe. We might not be able to find food wherever we go next; could be a desert for all we know!

I pay the cashier and begin to leave when Yellow decides to ask a question.

"Excuse me, miss?"

"Yes?"

"Have you by any chance seen a man named Blaine come by here?" Of course it'd be Yellow to ask a complete stranger if she's seen another complete stranger. To her, that is.

"No, I'm afraid I haven't. Sorry."

"Oh, that's alright. Thanks anyways!" Yellow skips back besides me and exits the Mart.

"I think it'd be best if you didn't go about asking random people if they've seen Blaine…" I explain to her.

"And why's that?" I decide to tell her briefly about Blaine's past and why she shouldn't be freely talking about him. Not wanting to tip off Team Rocket of his whereabouts and whatnot. It'd also be good to not let them know that we're here… Not that I'm scared of them or anything! I just don't want any more interruptions with our search for Red.

"Oh… So that's why you think he'll be good help? Because he worked with Team Rocket before and knows their ways?" Yep! Now, stop talking about it, please. There could be ears everywhere.

"He knows how the bad guys think, so he should be able to help us fight the Elite Four. Plus, we're all friends with Red! He'd probably want to help save him as well. Not as much as me, but there's probably a want nonetheless."

"Yeah. Speaking of which, where is he? We've been walking around this town for a while now and there's no sign of him!"

"Well, since he's wanted by both good guys and bad guys alike, he's probably laying low." I say in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. Really, she should've thought of that already.

"Right… Didn't you say something about being caught by Team Rocket with Red on this island a couple years back?"

"Red and I were caught by Team Rocket and Blaine saved us. He saved us again after that, but that's a story for another time. Anyways, if he hasn't moved his lab, it should be somewhere on the other side of the mountain. How about we check there?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

* * *

"I don't like walking…" …What? I don't! I have the right to complain if I want to!

"Neither do I, but we're just going to have to suck it up."

"But this island's so big…"

"Which means we're going to have to walk much further if we want to find Blaine."

"But I don't like being tired…"

"Well, neither do I, but we're going to have to… Huh?" Yellow stops talking and looks straight ahead. I snap out of my whining fit and look on with her, seeing the giant volcano that you can see from any angle of the island.

"What about it? You can practically see the volcano from anywhere on the island it's so huge." Doesn't seem to have any important to it, except for hiding Blaine's lab. Yes, I remember exactly where it is, but I just want to look around to see if Blaine's out and about first. He probably moved the lab as well, considering Team Rocket found out where it was after Red and I took off from it on Aerodactyl.

"Do you think it's active?" Oh, I don't know. Why don't we go ask the residents that have been living here for years upon years if the volcano's active?

"Nope. That volcano has been dormant for decades." Thank you! …Wait, what? I turn around to see who's talking to see that it's just a little boy. Well, little in comparison to my actual age. I really have to start seeing people as they see me.

"Welcome to Cinnabar Island. I'm what you call a junior trainer." I would've never guessed!

"Hello there! Say, you wouldn't have happened to see our friend, would you? He's tall, bald, and has a goofy mustache." At least she isn't using his name this time.

"Hm… Sorry, nope!" He turns around without saying another word and goes on with his business… Which is picking up a rock.

"What are you doing?" Just what I was wondering, Yellow.

"Hm? Oh, a friend of mine asked me to help him train for a Pokémon battle." Friend? I think I should go meet this "friend" of his.

"Could you introduce us to your friend? He sounds really interesting, using a rock for training." I ask. He agrees and leads us a bit further from town than we were. Really, you're allowing complete strangers to meet your friend? How safe.

"Here's where we do it… and that's the guy who's doing it!" The Junior points across the bridge to a man walking straight across it. Ok. It might've been years since I last watched the anime, but I definitely remember this Blaine from the show. How could you forget him? Blaine's a hard one to forget, that's right.

"…Hm?" Blaine's eyes slightly widen at the sight of us.

"Philippe? Is that you?" I don't really know how to feel about being so easily recognized by all the Gym Leaders… Although, I should really get used to it, having travelled with Red and all.

"Yeah, it's me." Blaine closes the gap by running the rest of the way.

"It's been a while! Say… where's Red?" I explain to Blaine for what has to be the thousandth time what's happened to Red. I'm pretty sure he's just letting me give him my side of the story. The other Gym Leaders have to have told him what's been going on these past couple of months! If they hadn't… then they have worse communication skills than I do.

"So, it's true then… When I heard it from the other Leaders I couldn't believe it! But coming from you… Red was actually defeated?" I slowly nod my head.

"And we've been defeated multiple times, both Yellow and I, by the same people who had defeated Red those several months ago. I _want _to beat them, it's just… we're not strong enough! Blaine, I know that you used to work with Team Rocket, and I know that you might not want to have to relive that past, but… you're the only one I know who knows what the evil guys are thinking! You used to think like them; what are the Elite Four planning? What are they planning on doing with Red? They said that it's because they want to be known as the strongest, but Lance said some interesting things when we battled him a couple days ago. He said 'All humans on Earth, except for elite trainers, must be destroyed!' He said something about it being better for the Pokémon… that Human Good and Pokémon Good are 'diametrically opposed.' Why does he think that way? Why does he think that Pokémon and humans should be separated, except for him and the rest of the Elite Four?" I really don't care that the Junior is within hearing range. He doesn't seem to be that interested in the conversation, at least.

"How about we go back to my lab and talk more there. I don't think we should be discussing this out in the open… Dan! I think you ought to go home now." Blaine shouts over to the Junior. He gives a quick nod and runs back to town, still carrying with him the rock he had picked up earlier.

* * *

"Alright. So, what exactly has happened with Red?" Blaine asks again.

"I've told you a thousand times I don't know! All I know is that he left one day to go fight a challenger, and a month later he still hadn't returned! That's when Yellow showed up and decided that she'd follow me on my trip trying to find Red. I've been trying for the past several months to find him, but no luck! The only thing that I've found is his hat… here, take a look." I take out the hat and hand it to him, Blaine examining the headgear.

"At least this shows that he's alive."

"At least around the time we found it. Also, this isn't something that we found, but a nerd who was working for the Elite Four had been given this to try to steal Pikachu from us." I hand him what's left of the glove that he had been wearing for insulation.

"Red's hat and Red's glove… interesting. So, you don't know anything else besides this?"

"I'm afraid not. If we knew anything more we would've gone on our own to find him! You're our last hope, Blaine… Why do you think the Elite Four's after Red? And… what exactly are their goals?" Yellow decides to butt in.

"Why would someone want to kill all humans? Don't they see how good Pokémon and Humans get along together? I mean, sure, they don't always, but that's only a minority of people! Like Team Rocket! And they themselves! Hypocrites!" Exactly, Yellow. Exactly.

"Yes, you're right. Why would someone want to destroy man-kind… huh?" All three of us hear the beeping noise that begins to be emitted from Blaine's giant supercomputer.

"Hm… Looks like your timing's perfect! It seems that Brock's just sent a call request. Now, we may be bugged, so we'll have to keep it short." Oh, goodie. If Brock's called, that must mean that they've found something! Blaine presses "Accept" and an image of Brock appears on the screen.

"Blaine! Around the far side of Mt. Moon… I've seen Red!" …

…

…

…

"Philippe?"

…

…

…

"Philippe, are you alright?"

…

…

…

My head hits the ground with a thud.

* * *

"You really have _got _to stop doing that."

"Damn right I will! Did you even _hear_what Brock said?!"

"Of course I did! After all, I hear everything that you allow me to hear. And because you certainly didn't expect to hear that, you weren't 'trying' to block me from hearing it."

"Red's _alive. Alive. _He's alive!"

"Of course he is! I've told you this many times before, Philippe. Red had escaped earlier than he was supposed to. Don't know why… But, nonetheless, he escaped, and that means he's alive."

"It doesn't matter if you told me. I just… I just needed some confirmation from people who've actually _seen_him."

"Did I not tell you that I saw his encasing empty? As in _I've. Actually. Seen. Him. _Well, not _him _him, but his empty shell. Which is all Brock's seen as well. He hasn't actually seen "Red" Red, but what I've seen. Just calm down… Being over-excited like this isn't real good for your health."

"Mew, I've been worrying for the past several months whether or not Red's alive, and I just got confirmation that he is indeed alive. I can't calm down!"

"Fine then. I'll just keep you here until you do."

…

…

…

"I have all the time in the world, while you, my friend, do not."

…

…

…

"Seriously, we can be here all night if we have to."

…

…

…

"…"

"Alright, fine! You win! You always win!"

"Thank you. Now, back to the subject on hand. Red!"

"Yes, yes. Brock was exploring Mt. Moon when he discovered a deep pit. He climbed down and at the bottom of the pit was Red's hollow casing. That's all there is too it."

"Red…" Wait… Now I understand!

"Mew, I get it now! If all that's left of Red is his hollow casing… then that must be what – or who – Lance was looking for when he attacked Vermilion!"

"Now you're catching on!" I feel smart.

"Oh, and, by the way. I think you should be coming too soon."

"And why is that?"

"Have you forgotten? The Elite Four have attacked Cerulean City, Celadon City, as well as Pewter City. All three cities are under attack." Oh yeah… How could I have forgotten about that?

"It's been three years, remember? Well, close to three." I keep reminding myself that, Mew. Only four more years until Red's legal! But that makes five for me… dammit!

"So, wake up and go help them, ok?"

* * *

"…Philippe!" I hear Yellow's voice.

"Yeah, yeah… I'm alright." I say in a low voice.

"You don't sound alright. Why don't you come and lay down?" I get myself up and off the ground and follow Blaine to the couch. Which is oddly out of place in this metal laboratory he lives in. Wait… why did I have to get myself up? Why didn't they pick me up off the ground while I was unconscious? Meanies…

"So, how are the others holding up?" I ask.

"What do you mean?"

"With their cities being attacked, of course. Do any of them need help?" Blaine and Yellow both look at me in shock.

"Oh, yeah. I wasn't _completely _knocked out. I was still able to hear about the attacks." From Mew.

"The Gym Leaders are handling it, although for how long no one can be sure… Yellow, tell Philippe about the island. I have to go check on something." Blaine runs off, leaving me with Yellow.

"What island?"

"Oh. Blaine's been able to pinpoint the location of the Elite Four's Headquarters! It's on an island not on any map. Blaine says that the Elite Four are probably expecting us to go to the aid of Brock, Misty, and Erika. But, instead, we're going to launch an attack on their headquarters! What do you say?" What do I say? Of course I'm going!

"I just found out Red's alive; why wouldn't I go get our revenge?" Our revenge… not just Red's, but mine as well.

"I knew you'd agree! Blaine just wanted to make sure."

"Alright, I'm back. I just had to go make a copy of the map. Here." Blaine hands us a map showing the route we have to take to make it from our current location to the hidden island.

"Why does it have to be so far away?" I hate long distances.

"We have to walk through Viridian Forest _again?_"

"It's not that big of a deal, Philippe! You should be used to walking these distances!"

"Doesn't mean I like them…"

"Just think; the more you walk, the closer you get to seeing Red again!" That's the only comfort I have in this entire situation.

Blaine coughs to catch our attention.

"Alright. Now that I have your attention, I have a suggestion to make. I think that it'd be best if you two went on out first and started heading towards the island. It'd be much safer if we took different routes. You'll take this route." Blaine points towards one line on the map. "And I'll take this route." He points to the second.

"…We still have to go through Viridian Forest."

"Would you shut up about that?!" Wow, Yellow. Never knew you could be so feisty.

"Once you've followed this route to the island, we'll meet up somewhere there. I can't tell exactly where, because what happens there is… well, unknown. We don't know what we're getting ourselves into, so we'll have to be prepared for anything and everything. It's not that large of an island anyways, so it shouldn't be too hard to find each other."

"But this is the Elite Four's headquarters we're talking about! They could have built it miles and miles underground, and have it go on for miles and miles! What if we're not able to find Red…"

"Philippe, what makes you so sure that Red will be with them? I'm sure they know his whereabouts, but why would he be with his captives still?" Yellow, you really don't know Red, do you?

"This _is _Red we're talking about. Of course he'll still be there! He'll want to stop them from doing anything bad to anyone else."

"Yes. That's our Red. Now, I think it'd be best if you two started heading now. I know it's extremely short notice, but that's to our benefit as well! The Elite Four won't know what hit them!"

* * *

Author's Note:

Short chapter. Hopefully the next will be longer. Read, review, etc.


	45. Into the Dungeon

"Yelllllowwwwwwwwwwww…"

"Not. Another. Word."

"But-"

"What did I just say?"

"Why did we have to go back here?"

"Because Blaine has it down on the map. I don't want us getting lost again! Thanks to you, we wasted who knows how long!" You probably do.

Being back in Viridian Forest again gives me both good, as well as bad, memories. It was the first place that I saw and met Red, it was the first place that I _really _saw Mew, although… it was also the first place that I met Team Rocket. Heh… all of that happened within an hour or two of each other, now that I think of it. Everything happened all at once… I was kinda sucked into it against my will. I probably would've asked to help, given the chance.

"We're back on the right track now, so don't keep reminding me!"

"Hey, Philippe?"

"What?"

"Do you ever get the feeling that you're being… watched?"

"Of course I do. You're always watching me! So quit it!" It's as if she thinks that if she takes her eyes of me for one second I'll end up lost! Seriously, that's Red's job!

"I can't! You're going to get yourself lost again, I'm going to have to follow you to make sure you don't get _too _lost, and then we'll end up hours out of our way again! Just follow the map!" I turn silent and follow.

"So… we take a turn here and…" Yellow continues mumbling to herself.

One question for myself. How was Blaine able to write such a detailed map on such a small piece of paper? Even if he had just written all the directions down in word form, there still wouldn't be enough space for all of it to be there! He's written precise instructions, from the distances we have to walk in each direction! Fifteen meters north, six meters east… seriously! How's he able to fit everything on that piece of paper?

Magic.

That explains it.

It has to be magic. Or the ever present PokéLogic that seems to be following me around all the time. Sometimes things just don't make any sense, and I know that Mew won't be of any help explaining it to me. She probably loves watching me suffer!

I hear a noise from above that snaps me out of my thinking.

"I think I know what you mean by the feeling of 'being watched' now, Yellow…" I warn her.

"You feel it too, huh?"

"Not just feel it. I _hear _it." The rustling increases in volume until we can see the branches and leaves moving above us. We both put our hands above our heads in order to protect ourselves from whatever's about to crash into us…

Only to have Blue come crashing into Yellow's arms. Oh my… Dammit!

_Why do all the romantic things have to happen to her?!_

Yellow just stands there for a good ten seconds in shock, not moving a muscle. Same goes for Blue. I guess she didn't really plan on crashing either.

"Uh…" Is all that comes out of Blue's mouth, which is really a shocker. She's usually so much more talkative than this!

Yellow continues standing there like an idiot. Although, I guess I'd probably do the same if Red came crashing into me. That, plus pass out. Cause I do that s_o _often. No, seriously. I've never passed out once in my entire life before coming here, and now I do it almost every day!

"So… how are you?" Well, considering you just crashed into her, probably in a lot of pain.

"F-fine…" At least she can form words now.

"I'm just fine as well, if you consider having walked for countless miles with no stops 'fine.'" Blue finally notices me when I speak up.

"Philippe!" Now's my turn to be crashed into the ground. She gets up from off of Yellow and plows into me, throwing me onto the ground.

"You know, I'm all for equal treatment, but not when it involves pain." Yellow blushes for a reason I have no idea of. Oh well.

"So, what are you two out here for?"

"We're out here looking for Red, of course. Why else would we be here?" Blue's one of the few who knows how I feel, so she should've known that I'd be out looking for him. Unless she's not being serious in her question and I just looked like a complete idiot.

"So are we!" We?

"Who else did you drag along with you?" Blue's face turns from glee to shock.

"Oh no!" She spins around and begins running in the opposite direction, leaving both Yellow and I to follow. We catch up with her to find her apologizing to a worn-out Bill.

"Miss, why'd you have to go ahead and leave me behind? I had to fend for myself and you _know _how horrible I am at fighting!" Yellow runs up to Bill's Rattata – is it the one he fused himself with before? – and begins nursing.

"Hehe… sorry. I was just so excited to see these two!" But… how did she know we were here in the first place, before running off?

"Blue, did you chip us?" If this is how effective chipping is, I'm certainly going to do it to Red the next time we meet.

"Sorry, again. I just had to! I couldn't let you wander around by yourselves! Who knows what would've happened if you had gotten into any trouble any no one knew where you were!" Um… that's happened already. Multiple times.

"Anyways! Now that we're all together, how about we team up to tackle the Elite Four?" Blue suggests.

"How about we wait for night, first. It'd be a much better idea to hit them when they don't know what's hitting. If we attacked in broad daylight they'd be able to tell where we're coming from and completely obliterate us!" All of those books and games have come in handy after all. Although, that could just be common sense… Which Blue seems to lack.

"What would we do until then? I don't like just standing around!" Sounds like me! But I don't like endless walking either.

"We still have to get to the edge of the forest. Once we spot the island, then we should camp out and hide until nightfall."

* * *

"I never want to have to walk another step in that forest again."

"You won't. Look!" Yellow points ahead and I can see the Elite Four's island. It's… much larger than I expected. It's almost as big as Cinnabar! Untouched by man, full of life, _natural… _just like Lance wants it. To be away from man's influence.

"Thank goodness!" My legs practically give way beneath me as I fall to the ground.

"So, we just wait here until it gets dark? Sounds good to me… shouldn't be that long anyways. Seems to already be growing dark." Which means it's almost time for us to finally get back at the Elite Four for what they've done. Almost time to end this…

Bill and Yellow go together to make sure that his Rattata's fine, now leaving Blue and I alone. Or maybe Yellow's hinting towards something else…

"Hm… we sure do have a lot to talk about, don't we?" Blue has that evil smile again…

"Depends. I sure have a lot to talk to _you _about, that's for sure." Now, how to bring up the topic of Yellow without using her name…

"I heard about what happened between you and Green."

"So you did… there's not much to talk about that, really." My blushing says otherwise.

"Don't tell me… you actually have feelings for Green?!" No, of course not!

"Why would I ever be in love with that pervert?! Of course I don't have feelings for him!"

"It was a joke! Relax!" It had better be.

"Hm… Green. I never thought he was like that. He always made himself out to be the cold, silent type. Never the hidden pervert he really is." I'm still wondering what exactly he had said to Red at the League to get him to hate him so much.

"It surprised me just as much as it surprised you. He was molesting me with words!"

"But haven't _you _done that to Red?"

"No I haven't!"

"Yes you have."

"Not!"

"I have my ways of knowing things, Philippe. And I know that you've been just as perverted, if not more, than Green, towards Red." I sigh and give in.

"I knew it! Looks like you aren't the goodie-goodie you make yourself out to be!"

"You mean you didn't know if I was before?" She sure has a way of making people say what she wants to hear.

"Yep!"

"And I have the same suspicion about Yellow. So… do you have anything on her?" Why so interested in Yellow all of a sudden, hmm?

"Not really sure what you mean."

"What I mean is… do you know if Yellow's as perverted as you? I know she can't be as perfect as she seems; you weren't!" My exact thoughts.

"I'm sorry to say that I don't know if she's betraying her outer appearance. After all of this time of being with her, she's still the perfect little girl that everyone sees her to be."

"Dammit. Hm… looks like I'll just have to do some more surveillance." And as if on cue, Yellow walks back with Bill, Rattata looking healthier and more energetic than before.

"Sorry about that! Just wanted to make sure Rattata was alright." Looks like someone's made a new friend while at it! Yellow's Rattata walks behind Bill's and the two start playing.

"So, it's almost time, isn't it?" Time sure does go by fast when you're nervous. The sun's halfway beneath the horizon. I'm finally going to see Red again…

"Finally!" Blue sends out Jigglypuff and has it begin puffing out its cheeks, inflating like a hot-air balloon.

"Alright everyone, hop on!"

"Blue, do you really think that Jigglypuff's going to be able to carry all of us?" I mean, sure, it was able to carry her, Red, and I, but is it going to be able to carry the four of us? Bill's much larger than any of us!

"Sure it will! Now, get on!" Yellow and I climb to the top of Jigglypuff and rest on its head. Blue climbs on next to us while Bill grabs one of its feet.

"One last thing… Horsea, Smokescreen, please!" Horsea sprays the air around us with a thick black mist.

"Hehe… perfect!"

"Don'cha think this is a little overkill?" I don't think so, but… hopefully it's dark enough that they're not able to see us.

"Blue, how'd you come up with this plan so quickly?" Yellow, A+ for complementing Blue like that.

"I'm a master of disguise, remember?" Isn't that master con-artist and master thief? Anyways…

"And no, this isn't overkill. Look down there." Blue points towards the ground where a group of Slowbro are searching for something… or some_one_.

"Gah! We'd be fighting all of them if we were down on the ground!"

"Exactly. Jiggly Airlines isn't the fastest means of transportation, but it is the stealthiest!" At least at night. During the day a giant black cloud wouldn't be the most inconspicuous thing.

"Alright. So… which way do we go?" Yellow pulls out the map once more and points towards the cave.

"Hm… so they're somewhere in there, huh?"

"Yeah. Too bad Blaine didn't give us a map of _inside _the cave. That would've helped tremendously!"

"But that also would've meant that he would've had to have visited the island before, and doesn't that sound suspicious to you?" I guess so.

"Where to land, where to land…" Blue has Jigglypuff land somewhere off to the side, away from the view of the Slowbro.

"It'd be a good idea if we were to have someone go in ahead and scout the area." Blue suggests.

"You're right. How about you go?" Didn't she say that I'd just go ahead and get in trouble if I was alone?

"What?! Why me?"

"It's 'Ladies first,' isn't it? Besides, you yourself said that you were the master of stealth!"

"'Master of disguise', to be precise."

"I've never once seen you in a disguise. I think you mean 'Master of thievery,' or 'Master of Con-artistry.'"

"Will you two stop arguing?!" Fine, Bill, fine…

"How about we all go inside together? It'd be much safer in case we ran into anything – or anyone – we didn't want to." Sounds like a plan. We all begin to head into the cave and not too long after run into a wild Pokémon. A Clefable, to be exact.

"Oh! That's a Clefable! I have one just like it! It's supposed to have extremely acute hearing… Wait…" Blue seems to be having an idea!

"Aha! Yellow, here, see if she knows anything!" Blue takes one of her pokéballs and thrusts it into Yellow's hands.

"A Clefable? But Blue… she's been with you this entire time! How would she know anything?"

"It doesn't matter, just try! It's our best bet."

Yellow closes her eyes and focuses on the pokéball, blocking all of us out.

"I think we should be quieter in the future… these caves echo our sounds, you know. And as if we're not being loud already, the echoes are even louder!"

"Blue, your Clefable seems to be picking up voices. Five distinct voices, to be exact." Five? Let's see which group of five it could be… There's four Gym Leaders who are on our side… there's four Elite Four Members, but they couldn't possibly know we're here! …Could they? Anyways, there's also three Rocket Admins, there's who knows how many Team Rocket members, there's four Gym Leaders who _aren't _on our side… gah! I don't know who they could possibly be!

"Clefable doesn't seem scared… surprised is a better word for it." Then they aren't our enemies. At least we know that.

"Could it be someone we know?" Quite possibly, Blue.

"Clefable says that the voices sound familiar. It has to be someone we know!" People who we know, and people who aren't our enemies… Blaine's probably one of them, but who are the other four?

"Let's go find out who they are!" Blue starts dashing off towards the direction of the voices – at least, she thinks it's the right way, – and we're forced to follow.

"Blue, slow down! You don't know if it's a trap!"

"Doesn't matter! If they're our friends and it _is _a trap, then we have to save them!" Stop sounding so much like Red, Blue. It doesn't suit you.

We turn around the corner to see five shadows in the distance.

"There!" Blue continues running… then abruptly stops.

"Huh…?"

The rest of us continue walking forward until the shadows become the outlines of five distinct people…

Lt. Surge.

Sabrina

Koga.

Blaine.

And…

Green… oh god… not _him._

"Well, hello there."

I duck behind Blue to avoid being seen by Green, but…

Too late. Green smirks as he spots me.

"Blaine, what are you doing with… _those _people?" Yellow, it's not nice to point. Although, I do have to admit, seeing Blaine and Green with the Rocket Admins does seem a bit strange. Even if it's expected, it's still strange.

"I could say the same to you two. Who's he?" I still have no idea why Bill's with us.

"I picked him up along the way!"

"Blaine, enough asking us the same exact question we asked you without answering it when we asked you. Why are _they _with you?" Hey, at least I didn't point.

"Green and I just ran into them not too long ago."

"Yeah. We're just here to take down the Elite Four. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend,' remember?" How many more times will I hear that saying?

"I still don't forgive you."

"Does it look like we care?"

"Hey, hey! Didn't you just say that you shared a common enemy? Nothing will get done if we start here arguing. Now, put aside your differences for just a little bit and cooperate!"

"Speaking of a similar enemy… why do _you _want to defeat the Elite Four?" It's an honest question, really!

"After the events at the Silph Company Building," I receive a glare, "We find out that the mainland's being attacked and people are being slaughtered! We can't let that happen in the area that _we're _supposed to be controlling!" Sabrina explains.

"Alright, so we all have different reasons to want to defeat the Elite Four. I guess we're all just going to have to agree to work together for now, regardless of our reasons." I'm here for Red, Blue's here because… well, I don't really know why Blue's here. Same with Yellow. She's just been following me around. And Bill… I _still _don't know why he let Blue drag him along. Blaine's here because he wants… revenge? I'm not sure… I guess the only people I know why they're here is myself and the Admins. Strange… I know why my enemies are here, but I don't know why my own friends are!

"As long as we all agree not to get in each other's way, I think that we'll be able to work well together." Isn't that what we just said?

Sabrina sticks her hand into her pocket and Green tenses up.

"Oh, relax. I'm just getting something that'll help." She quickly withdraws her hand from her pocket and throws several objects into the air. The objects begin to float in mid-air and are revealed to be spoons. Each spoon floats to each one of us and lands in our palms.

"Interesting, Sabrina… the Spoons of Destiny." What a name.

"What are they for?" Just as I was thinking.

"You know that the Mainland's being attacked, correct? Well, with that being the case, it'd make sense to think that this island isn't very well defended. It'd make sense to think that all of their forces are out on the front lines. Well, that's not the case. None of the Elite Four themselves have moved from this island. Agatha, Bruno, Lorelei, and Lance are still here." Figures. They just love making our lives that much more difficult, don't they?

"Since there's nine of us and four of them, we'll be fighting in three groups of two and one group of three." One less and it would've been an even four groups of two… I guess I really am screwing up the numbers here.

"Alakazam will sense your thoughts and pair you up with the Spoons of Destiny." When did she send him out?

Blaine's spoon points towards Yellow's, and vice versa.

Koga's spoon points towards Green's, and vice versa.

Sabrina's spoon points towards Blue's, and vice versa.

Bill's spoon points towards… no one's?

"Hey, my spoon's not bent!"

"The Spoon of Destiny won't react to someone who has no will to fight, or who isn't worthy of a partner!" Then why isn't mine bent? I'm the one who has the strongest will out of everyone here! Or… should. I hope.

"Hey, mine's not bent either." Surge and Bill… I snicker.

"Hm… since none of you have partners, I guess you'll be our group of three." Great. Stuck with the two I want to be stuck with the least. Bill… he's an alright guy, but I don't know him that well. And Surge… he's the first one out of them all to try to kill Red and I, so I dislike him the most out of the three.

"Since everyone's decided, how about we get a move on?"

* * *

Author's Note:

Well, that's pretty much it. Read, review, everything that you normally do.


	46. The Return

The awkwardness is slowly killing me.

It's been an hour or two – really, I have no idea how long it's been – since I was paired up with Bill and Surge, and not one of us has said a single word at all. What's there to talk about, anyways? Either way, I don't like the silence.

I finally hear Bill sigh.

"What a day this has turned out to be…" He says to himself.

"Did you say something?"

"N-no…" Dammit, Surge. You just killed the perfect opportunity to start a conversation!

"Well, I know what you mean, Bill. What a… however long it's been, this has turned out for _me… _Having to run around, chasing Red all over the region."

"Say, why _have _you and Yellow been chasing him? I mean, it can't just be because you're friends, can it?" I'm guessing you don't have that many friends.

"It is. Red's all of our friend. Blue's, Green's, Yellow's, and mine. That's why we're all looking for him."

"And that's what almost got yourselves killed, now isn't it?" Is he seriously talking about the time _he _almost killed us?

"You do know that was all your fault, don't you?"

"Your foolishness was what got you in that situation in the first place." Actually, it was Red's.

"Wait, he tried to _kill _you?" Bill takes a step away from Surge.

"It was in the past." Almost killing someone isn't something you should take lightly.

"Gah! Come on! Where are you?!" Looks like he's completely forgotten about us and has started yelling for the Elite Four. Bill still looks extremely uncomfortable, even more than he did before.

"I don't care which one of you it is… Just come on out! You can't get away with attacking _my _Vermillion City!" It isn't really _your _city.

"You know, we were already planning on dealing with the Elite Four in Vermillion." Smart, trying to take on the Elite Four by yourself. _Now _whose foolishness almost got them killed?

"You can't be serious! You know how strong they are!" My thoughts exactly, Bill.

"We_ were_ going to lure them out with a rumor that the one they were looking for was in Vermillion City. The takeover of the S.S. Anne by our officers was in preparation for that. Unfortunately, _someone _just had to go ahead and ruin our plans." That explains some things, as well as makes me feel even prouder of what I did.

Surge continues to glare at me, making the awkwardness in the air thicken.

"I don't know a thing you're talkin' about, so don't look at me like that!" If I were in Bill's situation, I would've said the same thing.

"I'm not looking at you." Still glaring.

Surge jerks his head around.

"Is somethin' wrong?"

"Maybe… take a look."

I finally move ahead to take a look beyond Surge and find a huge underground lake. Wait a minute… As soon as I look at the lake, memories come flashing back to me. T-this… is it.

"Well, we're going to have to find a way to cross it anyways. Come on." Surge takes the lead, walking across the huge stone "bridge." Bill follows directly behind him.

"Surge… I don't think you should do that…"

"And exactly why not?"

Three.

Two.

One.

The "bridge" shifts slightly, knocking Bill off and into the pool below.

"Waahh!" He comes in contact with the pool with a splash, his shouts intensifying as he hits the liquid.

Not less than two seconds after he hits, a Magikarp splashes Bill up onto the bridge once more. Lucky him.

"W-what was that?!" Incredible luck, I'd say.

"That stuff sure's clear, but one thing's for sure… it ain't water! It's a lot more viscous, an' if this guy didn't have a Splash attack, I'd be a goner!" Looks like Splash is actually useful for once. Who would've guessed?

"That's not all… take a look at your clothes." There's multiple rips and holes everywhere, from his shirt to his pants to his shoes.

"It's like Victreebel's acid. One thing's for sure; if anyone falls into that pool again, it's over." Unless another Magikarp's there to Splash us out.

"Indeed." Alright, what took you so long to show up? Couldn't you have shown up, like, an hour ago? Then we wouldn't have had to have this much awkward!

"But to win this battle you must cross it. You must first traverse this extreme battleground!" Why do you talk so funny Bruno?

"The extreme battleground…?"

"It is! This stone bridge is an Onix!"

"Told you." Surge glares at me again.

"An Onix… so… you must be Bruno of the Elite Four!"

"I am. This living bridge moves erratically. Fall, and you will land in a terrible sort of mucus… from which escape is impossible. Cross before me, and victory will be yours." So it's either defeat you or death. I think we all see which is the better option here.

"But that's completely not fair! It's your Onix; you have an advantage over us!" Even though I hate to admit it, he has a point.

"No. This is a wild Onix. My position is the same as yours. One small misjudgement and I will die too." Or not.

"Why go to this extreme?"

"It is only in the extreme that a man is truly tested. It is only the extreme that makes my blood run hot!" And it's only the extreme that's someday going to get you killed, Bruno.

"I sympathize, Bruno! I am Lt. Surge, Gym Leader of Vermillion City! I accept your challenge!" And it's only the thing that's going to get you killed as well, Surge.

Bill decides to get in on the action and sends out Vulpix while at the same time Surge sends out Electabuzz.

"So, what do you think he's gonna use?" Bill, look at the two Pokémon. Vulpix, a Fire Pokémon, and Electabuzz, an Electric Pokémon. Obviously Bruno's going to use either Ground or Rock.

"He's testing us right now…" Testing us how? You two are just standing there.

"Knowing him, it'll probably be a Ground or Rock type…" Isn't that _exactly _what I just… never mind. "…and that means that we don't stand a chance against him." Hello, what about me?

"What are we going to do then?!" Bill, stop freaking out.

"Hey, _you're _the college boy here! _You _come up with a strategy!" Wait… they have colleges here? Forget that… they have _schools _here? Not counting Trainer Schools, but regular schools?

"I will not be using Onix here." Bruno interrupts, "I do not like fighting battles in which the victory is by Pokémon alone." Yeah, yeah, we already know this Bruno.

"Wait… Bruno's not just a master of Ground and Rock…" I never knew he was a master of Ground and Rock in the first place, just Fighting and Onix.

"Indeed… I am also a Master of the Martial Arts!" Can we just get on with this?

I send out Gengar and the other two finally notice me.

"Hey, you could've said something earlier!"

"I didn't want to interrupt your conversation." Surge's attention snaps back to the battle as Bruno has his newly-sent-out Hitmonlee run to Electabuzz to attack. Hitmonlee whips out one of its feet and Electabuzz catches it in mid-air, although struggling to keep it from smashing its face in.

On the other side, Vulpix is dodging Hitmonchan's Ice and Thunder Punches. Vulpix is dodging the attacks quite well, being hit once in a while, and throwing in a couple Flamethrowers of its own.

What to do, what to do… Well, since Bill himself says that he's not a very good battler, I might as well help him.

"Gengar, Psychic." Gengar wags his fingers back and forth and sends the wave towards Hitmonchan, throwing it off balance for a second and allowing Vulpix to hit it with a Flamethrower dead on. I wonder if Bruno's gonna call a foul for three VS two… Our three Pokémon against his two.

"So, you are participating in this battle as well? I guess I'll have to call on another…" Bruno takes a third pokéball from his belt and sends it out. Well, that answers that. The Pokémon is… Hitmontop? If I'm not mistaken… isn't that a Second Generation Pokémon? Although, it'd be completely illogical if Pokémon from Second Gen. and onwards aren't in existence now, and only come into existence when their main characters are old enough to start their training. Oh well, something for the PokéDex to crash about. Unless Professor Oak already knows about Pokémon from other regions… which he should; he's probably in contact with Professors all over the world! Even ones in regions I have no idea exist at this time.

"Gengar, Psychic!" Gengar wags his fingers again, this time aiming the wave towards Hitmontop. The Pokémon jumps upside down, positioning the spike on the ground, and begins twirling its feet to give it momentum. The Pokémon begins charging towards Gengar, the spinning somehow deflecting the waves.

"Hide!" Our old trick comes in handy once more. Gengar slips into the shadows, completely hidden and protected from the spinning top.

"Sneak attack!" Gengar changes its entire body into the shape of an arrow and hurls itself towards Hitmontop. I'm guessing… Shadow Ball? No… Shadow Sneak? Oh well. It's effective, although not as effective as Psychic would've been… Still caught him off guard, so that works.

While Hitmontop's dazed I take the opportunity to see how the other two are doing. Hitmonlee's slowly pushing back Electabuzz… Uh-oh. This isn't good. Hitmonchan's continuing to punch towards Vulpix with the fox still able to dodge, although its moves are a bit slower at this point. We better wrap this up quickly before they get too tired.

…Aaannnddd while I was distracted, Hitmontop snapped out of its daze and used Earthquake. Since some abilities aren't completely "natural" here – like Gengar being in the air forever – Gengar's hit with the Earthquake and knocked out like that. Great. A OHKO. On my strongest Pokémon. Well, it was to be expected. _Red _of all people was defeated by him. Although, he also had the help of the other Elite Four members… I think. I hold out my pokéball and return the fainted shadow.

"You, on the other side of the barrier! Listen well! I tolerate no interference in this battle! Depart with haste!" I look towards where Bruno is shouting – now that my Pokémon's out, I don't have to pay attention to the battle anymore, – and I spot Yellow and Blaine! When'd they get here?

Blaine attempts to break through the barrier by having Rapidash use a Fire Spin, to no avail.

"Have you no ears!? Well then… bear the consequences!" The giant Onix that we're standing on shifts and rocks come tumbling down on top of the two. Not only did they put themselves in danger, but they put us in even more danger! We're _on _this thing, you know!

"Hey, it sounds like someone's there?"

"Or it could just be Bruno shouting at himself like a crazy person. There's always that possibility." We'd probably be in even more danger if that were the case.

"No, I really think there are people there! Although it's not like we've got a chance in heck of receiving any help from them! Seein' as he's yelling at them to keep clear, I'm guessin' that they can hear us… but we can't hear them!" That's probably the most logical thing you've said this entire time, Bill.

"It was probably set up this way... a place where people can look on to a battle but not help… the perfect battle arena!" Bruno's really extreme, ain't he?

"Hehe… So, now since Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee are keeping your two Pokémon busy as it is, who will keep Hitmontop busy? I guess I could give you three a second fighting chance…" Bruno sends out Machamp. Seriously, is this his idea of a second fighting chance? Or… wait… if he's able to send out additional Pokémon during the fight, why can't we?

"Pikachu may not be powerful," Not as powerful as Gengar, "but he is fast!" Ok, maybe not as fast as Gengar either… Whatever! He's the sensible one in the group!

"Wait… College boy, brat, take a look at that." While not taking offense, I look towards what he's pointing at: the belt Machamp's wearing.

"So? What about it?"

"It's wearing a Machoke's belt!"

"Then that means it just recently evolved?" Thanks to all the studying I've done via the PokéDex, I actually know stuff for once!

"Yeah! Say, do you have any other Pokémon?" Surge asks Bill.

"I only have one other that's strong enough to last in a fight like this…"

"Perfect. Hey, brat, come here." I get closer to the two and Surge explains his plan.

"Alright. So, here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna act like we're retreating, run all the way to the end of the Onix, and while we're running drop our additional Pokémon and let them out. Then we'll fire on him!" Surprisingly, Bruno allows us enough time to converse before he decides to finish the battle.

"It seems I must go to you. Machamp!" Machamp begins racing towards us and we begin to book it out of there!

When we're almost at the end of the Onix, we do as Surge said and drop our pokéballs, the three Pokémon within being released as they hit the rock. Surge's Electrode – please don't use Selfdestruct – Bill's Exeggcute, and my Pikachu.

"Attack!" Exeggcute begins hurling eggs at the four Pokémon and they all back away, trying to avoid the eggs.

"Those were Egg Bombs. Now, the detonation's up to this guy!" What did I _just _say?

"Now… Bomb!" …Seriously?

A moment later, the eggs that were – and are still, – being hurled towards the Hitmon and the Machamp explode. The explosions knock the Pokémon down towards the acid, they knock Bruno off of Onix as well – For some reason, I don't feel any guilt for that – and since we're furthest from the explosions, they disrupt our balance. _A lot._

"This plan of yours… don't it mean _we'll _fall too?" Exactly, Bill.

"Don't worry about that! I have Pokémon in place for this phase too!" And indeed he does. Somehow, Bruno was able to let out four of his Magneton without being caught, and as soon as we finally fall off they float beneath us and begin suspending us in mid-air. Science; who knew it'd someday save my life?

"Now, how about you two give me a hand?" We look down to see Surge dangling from one of the four Magneton. I extend a hand to help him up, and-

"Not… so… fast…" Bruno! But we thought you were dead! I guess we made the oldest mistake in the book: "Never count someone as dead until you see the body."

Hitmonlee's feet extend and wraps around Surge's and begins to drag him down. The Magneton extend their magnetic forces and try to out-pull the Hitmonlee's force and it works for a while… how long, though, no one knows.

The Magneton move in closer to Surge, also moving us closer in, and lock their magnet-like-appendages around his arm, keeping him secure.

"Alright!"

…Again, we made another of the oldest tricks in the book. This time Hitmonlee extends its arms and completely obliterate the Magneton, crushing the body, undoing the screws and bolts… basically, killing them.

"Is… this the end…!?" It is only if you think it is, Surge. What with self-fulfilling prophecies and all.

Looks like it's not, for as soon as Surge is pulled away from the electric field of the remaining Magneton and is hurtling towards the pool of acid, two vines whip out and grab him. Wait… vines?

"This vine…"

"Hey, Philippe! Your spoon!" Huh…? I reach into my pocket and pull out the Spoon of Destiny that was sticking out, and just as he said, it's pointing towards the direction of the vines…

"Hey… that bicyle…!" Bill looks towards the direction the spoon's pointing at as well…

"Venusaur!?" Surge shouts…

I take a closer look towards the giant mass. The clouds formed by the amounts of rocks falling are slowly starting to dissipate, but…

I already know who it is.

In my heart, I already know who's standing there, on the ledge.

The clouds finally vanish and I can see who it is:

Red.

* * *

Author's Note:

kslhdgdlshgkjdsg. That it all.


	47. Reunited

"Ah…"

"Heya, Bill! Long time no see! You too, Surge!"

"Ah….."

"Well, I guess I'll get to it!"

I watch in silence as Red rides his bikeacross the moving Onix, Venusaur following closely behind, and completely wrecks Bruno's Pokémon with Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, even _Sweet Scent. _

"You all right, Surge?"

"Yeah. Although, your friend over there doesn't look so good." I may be half out of it, but I can still hear.

"Is that really you, Red?" Bill asks.

"As far as I know it is! Now, how about you two get down from there?" Surge orders the remaining Magneton to lower us back down onto the Onix.

"So, how have you been doing, Bill? You too, Philippe!"

"Red, if you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of a battle here!" Surge pulls Red's attention away from me – Bastard – and Red laughs nervously.

"Oh, sorry! I'll take care of it."

"Red, be careful! This guy's mighty strong! His Hitmonlee's arms stretch! They're what busted up my house!"

"It's kind of you to worry, but I already know how strong he is! I've already fought him, remember?" Red explains.

"Hey, Surge, mind leaving him to me?"

"Well, I have to admit that I've used up most of my energy already trying to protect these two. I doubt I'd be of much help anyways…" I can hear the disappointment in his voice.

"No, it's not that. It's just… I have a score to settle with him." Just like I said; Red wouldn't have left the island just yet due to him wanting revenge.

"You haven't changed a bit! Even if I told you not to, you still would, wouldn't you?" Exactly, Surge.

"_Nothing matters!" _Bruno shouts from nowhere. Has he finally snapped?

"I stand face to face with the one I deem is the perfect opponent! And this time… I shall be able to fight a pure match! Prepare for battle, Red!" Yep, I think he's finally snapped.

"You're on, Bruno!" Hitmonchan races towards Venusaur and lets out a Fire Punch, Venusaur narrowly dodging the attack on the narrow rocks. Seriously, how could Venusaur be able to move around with such a large body on such a small surface?

"Thunder Punch!" Hitmonchan releases a second punch, this one of the electric element. Red seems to have an idea…

He returns Venusaur and sends out the Eevee that we saved a long time ago.

"Alright, let's see…" While Red's thinking the Hitmonchan races up to Eevee and lets out an Ice Punch.

"If you're going to lead with an Ice Punch, we'll just counter with Fire!" Red holds out a Fire Stone, Eevee begins to glow, and the Pokémon turns into a Flareon.

"Flamethrower!" The flames burn the ice surrounding the glove, rendering the attack completely useless and doing some damage.

"Next, Water Stone!" Red puts away his Fire Stone and takes out the Water Stone, Flareon transforming into Vaporeon.

"Water Gun!" This time Vaporeon lets off a mini-torrent of water, blasting Hitmonchan.

"W-what…? Impossible!"

"Nuh-uh! My Eevee can transform into any one of its three evolutions at will! It can change into Flareon, Vaporeon, and Jolteon, and switch back again! You see, Team Rocket's to thank for that!" Red tips his hat to Surge, "Eevee doesn't like the mutation, but is willing to use it to help others!"

"Normally it'd suffer from the amount of power that's been granted to it, the power of three different elements at once, but since I'm here to help, and with the help of the stones, we're able to control the power! And the best part is that the stones don't lose their power after being used!" Special stones, I guess.

"It does not matter if you have 'Special Stones!'" Bruno has Machamp help Hitmonlee. I don't really think that he's going to be of much help, Bruno.

"Well then!" Red sends out Poliwrath as well.

"Poliwrath, take care of Machamp!" Poliwrath goes on its own to take care of Machamp – Looks like the training that… Green, gave to his Pokémon really did help – while Red controls the Eeveelutions.

"Jolteon, Thunder!" Red changes the Eeveelution into Jolteon and it releases a large blast of electric energy. It dodges the punches that Hitmonchan sends towards it after it recovers, and Red has it switch to Flareon once more. This rotation lasts for a couple minutes until Bruno breaks the silence.

"Machamp, it is time for you to take off your belt!" …Now that's something I don't hear every day.

Machamp takes off its belt and releases one punch that knocks Poliwrath halfway across the Onix. Seriously, how is anyone keeping balance on this thing!?

"So there was something significant about that!"

"Yes, there was! The belt normally falls off when Machoke evolves into Machamp, but my Machamp had insisted on keeping it on. It absorbs excess power and converts it, and then when it's taken off, the power is released all at once!"

"Poliwrath, Water Gun!" I think Red's trying to put some space between his Pokémon and the Machamp… but it doesn't work. Machamp shakes off the Water Gun and gives Poliwrath another punch.

"Poliwrath!"

"Sorry, but this match is over. Your ace in the hole, Eevee, is out of it. You have no fighting Pokémon that can take on my Machamp."

Red grins, returns Poliwrath, and sends out Primeape. Looks like he's been doing some training after all!

"Primeape, Cross Chop!" Primeape raises both arms above its head, then brings them both down on the Machamp. Hitmonlee readies itself for its attack, having been out of battle for a while.

"Hitmonlee, use-" Bruno's interrupted by a shocking sight: Vaporeon rises from the Onix and attacks Hitmonlee, throwing him off balance.

"But, how…!?"

"It's Acid Armor, a melting attack! Eevee made it look like it fell, while in reality it was 'climbing' up the Onix this entire time! Pretty clever if I do say so myself!" Don't get too cocky, Red. You still have a long way to get before this battle's over.

"Now, Jolteon… Pin Missile!" Red changes Eevee yet again into Jolteon, the Pokémon now shooting numerous pins towards the two Fighting types, knocking them unconscious. I guess all of the fighting with Venusaur, Primeape and Poliwrath really tired them out.

Bruno's got that look in his eye…s. Oh well. He has no Pokémon left; what's the worst he could do?

"…"

I shouldn't have thought that.

"Ha… ha… ha ha ha" …This only confirms my earlier thought of him losing it.

"Red, I did not care about the plan that Lance and the others had from the start, and I do not plan to join or agree with them now." Then why'd you join them in the first place?

"If your friends are as good as you, Red… they may actually defeat Lorelei and the rest of them." I only hope so… Speaking of which, I wonder how the rest are doing?

"Humans and Pokémon can train to be as strong as they want to be. All my life I've lived with powerful, well-trained Pokémon. I plan to continue that." A bit egocentric, aren't you?

"This was a most satisfying match. Thank you!" Thank you, too, for not killing us in the end.

"Bruno…!" Bill, you're too late. He's gone.

"He's gone…" I'm just so used to this by now.

"Well, all's well that ends well. I've kept up my end of the agreement. One Elite Four Member. That was the deal. So… I'm gonna go meet up with Sabrina and Koga now, ok? See ya!" And good riddance.

"Well, whaddya know? Team Rocket to the core! Why'd I ever believe that this guy could ever turn good?"

Well, now that everything's done and over with… I guess it's alright for me to bring down the wall that's been constructed. I've been able to stand on my two feet for most of the battle, for most of the conversation, but now that there's nothing to distract my attention… I'm forced to come to reality with the fact that Red's back… That Red's back, after who knows how many months, and that he's back… with me…

So, I do what any rational person would do at a time like this. I do the irrational. I break down and cry, slumping to the floor of the Onix. Somehow he hasn't moved during this entire exchange, being wild and whatnot. Heh…

Red walks up to me.

"Hey, Philippe, there's no need to cry. I knew that you'd do something like this when I saw you again… I'm here, aren't I? There's nothing to worry about." He extends a hand for me and… I just can't.

"Red… It's been… how many months…? since I've last seen you… thinking you've been in danger this entire time… not knowing if you were alive or… and you think that everything's 'ok?' Nothing's ok! I warned you time and time again… not to go to meet those people… yet you just ignored me! You ignored all the warnings! I knew that this would happen… but I couldn't get _you _to believe me!" Red just looks at me with his head held low.

"I know, Philippe. You've told me time and time again not to go, you've warned me. I didn't listen. I seem to do that a lot, don't I? I'm sorry that I don't listen… I've been telling myself that the next time I saw you, I'd do better."

"'The next time you saw me'… there you go again! You thought that you'd be sure to see me again… well, you weren't! You could've never seen me again! I could've never seen you again! Red… don't ever leave me like this again…" Red bends down and picks me up… Heh… I never knew he'd become so strong… Must've been because… Oh, you know what…? I can't make any more jokes…

If only we could stay like this forever…

"Uh… hello? Sorry to break up a moment, but we've got friends to save!"

"The others are here too?" This is nice…

"Yes, but I don't have a clue as to where they could be!" I'll just let Red carry me…

"Where do you think we should start?" Wherever's fine, as long as I can stay like this…

"How about choosin' the path that your Joleton there blew up?" Red's known for blowing things up…

"Alright!" Red begins running down the path, – As well as he can without dropping me – Bill following close behind. Not too long after he comes to a halt. I wonder what for?

"A sketchbook…?" I wonder whose it is.

"What the hell!? There's a picture of me in it!?" That snaps me out of my half-daze.

"It's Yellow's! Yellow was here!" Oh yeah… Yellow doesn't like Red. She likes Blue. I slip back into a daze…

"Who's Yellow?" Earlier, before Yellow had told me that, I would've been jumping with joy. Now it's not really any of my concern. Although, has Yellow not told him, or does he really have that bad of a memory…?

"Yellow's the one you saved from the Dratini!" Red gasps in remembrance.

"Oh yeah! Say, how's Dragonair doing?"

"I think you'd best ask him once he's feeling better." Red blushes… how cute…

"Yeah."

"Hey, Red. I've a question I've been dyin' ta ask."

"What is it?"

"How'd you get out of that block of ice? I mean, you were frozen solid!" I've been wondering that too… he got out sooner than he was supposed to.

"I had some help! I don't know who, though… they were disguising themselves. Don't know why. They ran away as soon as I was free! I really wanted to thank them, too! They gave me the stones I used to evolve Eevee during the battle." That explains how he got them.

"The only thing that I heard him say was… something along the lines of 'Take these, Red. You're not going to end here.' He was so ominous!" Well, obviously. You were frozen in a block of ice; who knows what would've happened if he hadn't of helped.

"He also gave me this spoon! Say, why do you guys have one as well?" Bill explains the entire "Spoons of Destiny" thing from Sabrina while I just snuggle up closer.

"Oh. Well, for me, this guy said 'This will lead you to yet another decisive battle.' He's sounding as if the world's gonna end if we don't do something!" It probably would, Red.

"At least it was good for showing me around this island! I mean, seriously! How'd _you _guys find your way around?"

"Hehe… we sorta just wandered about till Bruno found _us."_ Red laughs.

"Amazing… I thought Philippe would've figured something out for the two of you!" I'm still here, you know. Well, obviously he'd know. I'm kind of adding double his weight.

We walk for a little while longer until something buzzes in my pocket; the PokéDex.

"Hm… let's see what this is all about." Red takes the PokéDex from my pocket and turns it on.

"Hey, this thing's resonating just like it did before! Blue and Green must be nearby!" Seeing Red and Green at the same time… having _them _see each other, along with me… should be very interesting.

"Hey, Red! How about you take your bike and bring yourself and Philippe to them? It'd be much quicker than dragging me along." Bill suggests.

"But what about yourself?"

"I may not be a great trainer, but there's one thing I know for _sure _I'm great at, and that's running away from trouble! And knowing you all, trouble seems to follow you everywhere you go!" That's the truth.

"I guess you're right. Thanks for taking care of him; he'd probably dead if it weren't for yours and the other's help!" You'd probably be dead without any help too, Red.

Red takes the bike that Bill's been pushing along, hops on and sets me down behind him.

"Philippe, you think you're strong enough to hold on?" I weakly nod and grab hold of his waist.

"Alright, here we go!" And he pushes off.

* * *

"So, Philippe… I've been thinking about what you said earlier and… I just have to say it again. _I'm sorry. _I should've listened to you… I should've listened to my mom! It's just… when I get my head wrap around something, I just can't let it go! I wanted to be the best, and I became the best; I didn't want to lose it because I didn't show up to some battle. I didn't want people looking down on me again. I just… wanted people to see how strong I had become, by defeating everyone who challenged me. That's why I went to see Bruno, even after you had told me not to. Even something in my heart felt that it wasn't quite right for me to go there, but I ignored it. I'm sorry…"

Zzz…

"Philippe, I know you're probably still mad at me, but please, at least tell me you understand why I did what I did. You don't have to forgive me, just…"

Zzz…

"Philippe? Did you even hear me?"

Zzz…

"Philippe? Are you even listening to a word I'm saying?"

Zzz…

"_Philippe!"_

I rip my hands from Red's waist and fall over backwards onto the cold, hard cave floor. Seriously, Red! I heard every single word you said! Just… I was napping as well… I mean, riding a bike through a cave isn't really exciting, so it's hard not to get bored. I'm usually like that; half asleep when I'm bored, but still able to understand, hear, and experience whatever's around me. I just can't answer back when someone's talking to me.

"Owww…" Red shows concern in his expression and hops off, helping me up.

"I'm sorry for that too, but come on! You could've at least given me something!"

"Sorry… I'm just… tired, that's all. All of this 'saving the world' stuff's gotten me feeling so… sleepy lately… That, and the shock of finally seeing you again." The confusion on his face is just priceless. It changes from care, to concern, to confusion, all at once! Sounds familiar…

"Ah… I'm sorry." Feels like we're both apologizing way too much.

"I never thought how much of an affect this could've had on you… I can deal with it just fine; that's who I am! But… I'm sorry."

"Red, I really think… we should stop apologizing. It's getting to the point… that 'sorry' doesn't mean anything anymore."

"Haha… you're right. Sorry for saying sorry all the time." That just defeats the purpose.

"You just said it again, Red." That voice…

"Not you again…" _That _voice…

"So, looks like you're alive!"

"And surprisingly, so are you." Green, stop hating on Blue.

"Of course I am!" She _is _the master of deceit, after all.

"So, how are you and Philippe doing? Seems like someone's…" Don't even go there.

"Philippe's just tired from all the fighting. He fainted during our battle with Team Rocket years ago, remember?"

"Yes, I remember. He wasn't much help back then, and he isn't that much help now." Looks like Green's back to being the bastard he normally is. Only when we're in private is he…

"Hey, he wasn't _that _useless!" Thanks, Blue, for trying to defend me while I'm currently too tired to defend myself.

"Give me one example."

"Uh…" Well, it's the thought that counts.

"Exactly."

"Now, guys, I don't think we should be talking about him while he's like this…" Red, I can still hear you, you know?

"I'm still conscious… I can hear everything you're saying."

"Oh! So you're awake then!" Didn't I just say that?

"Guys, we can't be wasting time talking; we have to get outside." Well, you're one to talk, hypocrite. Seriously, he was talking, just like the rest of us. And… why do we have to go outside again?

"Why do we have to go outside?"

"You'll see once we get there."

"Don't forget me!" Yellow? She's here, too?

"Hey, Yellow! What took you so long?" Blue, you have no idea what you're doing to Yellow right now.

"Umm… I was… oh, forget it! You have to come, quickly! Blaine's in danger!" Oh yeah… Lance and his Legendary Pokémon and all that.

"Blaine's here too?!"

"Yes, Red, now hurry!"

"Alright. You lead the way, Yellow!"


	48. The End of Lance

"He's _what?!"_

Well, Blaine's one for getting into trouble. Almost as much trouble as Red and I! Not quite as much, but close. He's battling Lance by himself. Not sure if that's just bad luck, stupidity, or overconfidence. Probably a mix of all three. I mean, if _I _had Mewtwo with me, I'd probably think I'd be able to take on anyone and anything. That is, if Mewtwo returned to him… I really hope that releasing him to Mew didn't screw up that part of the story. Since Mew's job is to make sure I don't die and that everything goes the way it's supposed to go, she probably knows what's going to happen and probably warned Mewtwo about it as well. So, he's probably with Blaine. Hopefully.

So! We're making our way down the last corridor – I hope – in the cave, trying to make it to Blaine before he gets himself killed.

We exit the cave and some – CoughRedCough – almost run off the edge of the cliff. They would've, too, if Green hadn't of taken hold of Red and Blue's collars. Red, if you had walked off that cliff, not only would you have killed yourself, you would've killed me as well! Yellow was walking beside us to keep me company, but she was smart and stopped a few feet before the edge.

"So, how exactly was Blaine when you left him?"

"Why don't you look for yourself?" Green interrupts. I look around from Red's arms.

"I don't see anything…"

"Try taking a look down." Oh no, I'm not doing that. Even though I'm not 100% afraid of heights, whenever I look down from a height, I always get the _feeling _that I'm falling. You know, the sensation you get that's somewhat… it's as if your entire body is being pulled up while you're just sitting there. It's… hard to explain. I've always been like that, mainly when the character I'm playing as in any video game falls. I guess it's because _I'm _the one controlling their action that caused to them falling, either on accident or purpose. I guess it could be called "guilt…" I'm not too sure.

"It's Blaine!" Great, now I'm gonna _have _to jump down. Oh well… At least I'm still in Red's arms. Unless he puts me down. Then I'm not going.

"Yellow, you know what to do." Yellow takes a pokéball and releases her Pokémon, having it use String Shot to create a "vine" for us to climb down with. Alright, that works too.

"I'll go first." Red puts me down, jumps, and grabs hold of the vine, inching his way to the bottom. Green follows, then Blue, then Yellow has me go down, then Yellow goes last. When we reach the bottom Red's already talking with Blaine.

"You're safe… All of you!" Why wouldn't we be?

"Blaine, what happened to you?" What happened to him is right: He's completely covered in bruises, scratches, cuts, and he's bleeding everywhere! Not a pretty sight…

"Lance's been toying with me since Yellow left… I guess he didn't want to have to call waiting for you a 'waste of time…' so he had that bird play with me." I take a look to where Blaine's pointing and see something even more breathtaking than the three birds – although, the situation in which I saw them in could've diminished the effect they had – It was the leader of those three, actually. I express my surprise at this Legendary Pokémon vocally.

"Lugia!"

"Yes, but… how did you know the name of this Pokémon?"

"Uh… internet?" That actually works and he drops the question.

"Yes, this Pokémon is the Legendary Lugia. Just as it has the power to calm storms… it also has the power to give rise to storms, much fiercer than you've ever seen. Lance plans to use Lugia's powers to help him reach his goal."

"We can't let him do that!" Obviously, Red.

"How would we be able to stop such a beast, Red? Have any ideas?" Even though I hate to admit it, Green's got a point. It's like that almost in every story, really. The final "boss" is so gigantic, so massive… it seems impossible to be able to beat it. But there's always a way, no matter how far-fetched that way is.

"We'd all need to work together if we wanted to stop that thing… right? Well… if we're to do that, Red, Green, you two need to put aside your differences and Blue, you need to put aside your fear of birds. We all have to work together!" They slowly nod as they pull out their pokéballs.

"Alright… So! What do you expect us to do, oh mister tactician?" "Tactician…" has a nice ring to it. Anyways…

"All of your strongest Pokémon are your starters, right?" They nod.

"So… how about having all of them release their strongest attack at once, on the same spot? That way there won't just be Fire, or Grass, or Water… there'll be all three!" I'm pretty sure Mew had something to do with this epiphany… I'm gonna have to ask her to stop doing that. If I can't learn to think on my own, I'll never get much farther than the Johto region.

"And how about Pikachu? He's pretty strong." If you're talking about strength, Red, then that'd be Gengar. But, you're right… Electric fits into that triangle much easier than Ghost or Psychic do. I send out Pikachu, still worn out from the last battle, but much more rested than before.

"Alright… I just have one question. Why hasn't Lance attacked us yet? We've been sitting ducks this entire time!" …Good question. I take a look up towards Lugia to see Lance, obviously, and… another silhouette. We take a closer look and see that it's… Giovanni? What's he doing here?

Alright, now's the time for me to be worried. Mew's been telling me that me being here will cause some minor alterations to the story, some minor plot changes, but… nothing to this magnitude! Giovanni was never supposed to help in this battle; Giovanni was supposed to appear _after_ this battle to… I forget why, but it's supposed to be after, not during! I only hope nothing major occurs because of this…

"G-Giovanni?!" Red shouts. Oh yeah… the last time Red saw him was during the Viridian City Gym battle where he almost killed us and- nevermind…

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Red. Just attack!" Yellow reminds him.

"Alright; this is it!" The four of us release our Pokémon and have them charge up their attacks.

"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!"

"Charizard, Flamethrower!"

"Venusaur, SolarBeam!"

"Pikachu, Thunder!"

The four attacks all collide mid-air and instead of cancelling each other out, they only amplify each other's power to the highest degree. The red flames, the blue water, the green solar energy, and the yellow electricity… Heh… Just like Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow themselves… the colors mix and mingle until they're all one uniform color: White.

"Yellow, what are you doing?!" …Huh? I take a look behind me and see that Yellow's stretching her hands out in front of her, mumbling to herself.

"I call upon the power of the Viridian Forest… Give us the power required to defeat this monster… give us the power to heal everything that this monster has destroyed… everything that this monster has obliterated!" I really hope she's talking about Lance and not Lugia… There's a visible light that comes out from her hands, speeding towards the beam and colliding with it, just adding to its massive amount of power and energy.

All of this takes place within a matter of seconds.

I can't really tell exactly what happened, only what I saw with my own eyes. I saw the beams colliding, yes. I saw Yellow chanting and adding her power to ours, yes. And then the second I turn back to the beam… it collides with Lance, enveloping him in the white light.

There's a lot of screaming coming from Lance, Yellow, Red, Blue, Green, Blaine, and I… pretty much everyone. I'm not sure why the rest are screaming… Me, it's because of the pain from being in the presence of such power. I mean, the power came from the Champion's strongest Pokémon's strongest attack, the 2nd place's strongest Pokémon's strongest attack, and the 3rd place's strongest Pokémon's strongest attack. Oh, and my Pokémon's strongest attack. You could actually feel the vibrations from the attack, the pulsations. Just pure, raw, power. Eventually the power becomes too much for me to handle and I faint.

* * *

"At least this time it happened _after _the attack worked, right?"

"And at least you were able to contribute to this!" That makes me feel a whole lot better. Although… Red _did _have to carry me out of the cave, so that really gives _him _all the credit. Although, if I wasn't there, they might not have been able to come up with the idea in the first place! …Gah! This is so confusing!

"Philippe, you contributed in the attack, you contributed to the idea of the attack. Just leave it at that, ok?"

"Fine… Hey, Mew? Could I ask you a multitude of questions before we have to leave each other again?" I'm not quite sure when the next time I see her will be, so I might as well ask everything now.

"Sure, ask away!"

"Alright… first… I know I've asked this question many times before, but… I never quite can understand the answer you've given me. _Why _was I brought here in the first place?"

"Well, Red needed your help, that's why!" That still doesn't answer my question…

"You say that Red needed my help, Red says he needed my help… but for _what?_ I know he said that it was to mitigate his anger, but he hasn't been angry at all since he entered the Pokémon League! And don't say that it's because he's been kidnapped all this time; the entire time I was living with him and his mom, he wasn't angry once. Red said that I was brought here, that he brought me here, because his anger caused him to do something he regretted. He hasn't done anything to show that his anger's growing, and that it'd eventually grow to such a state that he'd do something he regretted, like, say, kill someone." Mew looks around nervously… is that what he did?

"Oh my god…"

"Oh my Arceus, you mean."

"Mew, this isn't the time and place for jokes. Is… that what he did?"

"…Yes. That also explains why none of his friends were there with him when he picked you up. He… yeah…" …Well, that brought me down.

"Well, he hasn't shown any signs of becoming _that _angry… That's good, right?"

"Yeah. But, remember… he looked about your age when he killed them, which means he was around sixteen. He's still got a few years left before he's in the clear; once he makes it past the point that he killed them at in his last life, he'll be safe and his anger won't bring him to do that anymore. He won't _have _any anger, really."

"Alright. So, that answers my first question… Second. Mew, you know about the story and plot of the 'manga,' right?" She nods.

"In that case, you can tell the future, right? You were able to tell the future of the old timeline, so you're able to tell the future of this timeline, right?" She nods again.

"Then… why even 'try to keep me safe' or 'make sure nothing goes wrong?' If you're able to tell what happens, then there's no need to interfere, right? You know what's going to happen, and there's not a thing you can do about it. Isn't fate all predetermined, the future predetermined, and if you try to alter it, time will just find a way to bring itself back on track in whatever way possible?"

"I'm sorry to disagree with you, but you're wrong there, Philippe. Future is not predetermined. Although I _can _see the future and see what happens, if I act differently from how I would normally that would lead to said future, then the future I saw will change. Same goes for you; even though the future has a path predetermined for you, you don't have to follow that path." That makes absolutely no sense.

"But, if that's my future, then everything I do will lead up to that future, won't it?"

"No, Philippe. Fate… likes throwing things at people. It likes throwing people chances, throwing people opportunities that will change the outcome of their life, and, at the same time, possibly the world, depending on which choices they make and which opportunities they take. Take yourself for example! Fate threw Red towards you, and it completely changed the path your life was supposed to take! Instead of living the rest of your life on Earth, you're living your life in this universe instead!" That makes… sense, I guess.

"Alright… Next question. Mew, I was right when I thought that it'd make no sense if the Pokémon that are from 'future' regions, such as Johto, Hoenn, etc., aren't in existence now, and would only come into existence when their 'main characters' come of age, right? Isn't that why Gengar could use a 'future' attack, why Bruno had a 'future' Pokémon, and why Lance had Lugia?"

"Yes, that's exactly why! All Pokémon and all moves are in existence currently, even Pokémon that weren't released when you were back home! Say… I'm just gonna mention this: On your world, there's been new developments in the Pokémon department; new regions, new Pokémon, new trainers… etc." Alright, that answers a question I haven't asked yet, and brings up a new question entirely.

"Speaking of that… Mew, something that I've been thinking about ever since before I came here… what about Earth? Stories I've read that have had this thing happen to the author… all the fanfictions I've read… they've all chosen one of these two things to occur. Either, since the moment they entered the new world, time has stopped in their home world, or when they entered the new world, time passed normally on their planet, so the amount of time they spent on the new world would be the same as the amount of time that passed on their home world. Also, very rarely there would be cases where time would go by at a different rate, such as time going by much slower on their home world than it was in the new world. For example… If one day went by on their fictional world, it'd be the equivalent of one hour on their home world. Or, for some people… One second on their home world would be one day in their current world."

"Oh, time's going by normally on Earth. So, people have already assumed that you're dead and have moved on by now. Except your family and some close friends." Haven't I said that I don't have any close friends enough?

"Fine; the people who thought themselves to be your close friends. Anyways, that answers another question that you had, right?" Yeah. Now I know that, once this entire thing is done and over with – if it's ever done and over with… – I'll be staying here. I mean, there's nothing waiting for me on Earth, is there?

"I'm sure all your friends would be glad to hear that! Well, that is, once you tell them. If you're ever able to. Not even _I_ know what'd happen if you told people you're from another world. Would the world collapse in on itself? Would the future as we know it be completely distorted? It's best not to take that risk."

"Mew, it's not that I want them to understand why I am the way I am, it's not that I want them to feel sorry for me and understand why I'm not able to fight as well as they can, or why I'm always fainting… I just… don't feel right lying to them! Especially to Red… we've known each other for several years and… I've just been living one giant lie! He's been kind enough not to pester me about my life before I met him too much… I just hate lying!"

"I know, Philippe… But you have to understand that you can't just go around telling people where you're really from!"

"I know! But-" Before I can finish my sentence, there's a huge bright light in the corner of the room. Then a second. When the light's eventually diminish, I can see two distinct people. Or, rather, Legendaries, because of some of their… features.

"Sorry I'm late! You know how long it takes to come from Johto!"

"That's alright; it gave me time to talk to Philippe about everything he wanted to know! I think it's actually a _good _thing you didn't arrive on time!"

"I apologize as well. I did not have the same distance to traverse as Celebi did… I have no excuse." So _that's _who it is! Yes, it. I… don't really know what to call it.

"That's alright, Lugia. I mean, you _were _just blasted out of the sky because of a certain _someone's _plan." She looks over towards me.

"Well, I'm _sorry. _It was the only thing I could do!"

"I do not blame you for your actions. I blame myself for allowing Lance to take control of me. I should not have allowed him to get so far… I apologize." She sure is apologizing a lot… not as much as Red, but still.

"So! I'm guessing you're wondering why Celebi's here, aren't you?" Yeah. Not so much Lugia; the three Birds visited me after I saved them, so why shouldn't Lugia?

"Well, as you know, Philippe, you're going to be following the plot of this entire 'story,' right?" I nod.

"Which means that after the first two arcs comes…" The… Gold, Silver, and Crystal arc?

"Exactly! The Gold, Silver, and Crystal arc. And in what region does that arc take place…?" Johto?

"Correct again! Meaning, since I have to remain in Kanto to keep an eye on the place, Celebi here's going to take care of you for your stay there!" But, I've gotten so used to Mew!

"Oh, don't worry! I'll be able to visit you once in a while; Celebi and Lugia are visiting you now, aren't they? I just won't be able to as often as I am now."

"We're going to get to know each other _so _well!" Celebi jumps up and down.

"Not to be rude, but… what are you, Celebi?"

"Oh, that's for me to know, and for youto _never find out!_" I'm going to find out one of these days!

"I wish you luck in that, Philippe, I sincerely do. Oh, and also, you won't be able to communicate with Celebi telepathically like you've been doing with me." I think that answers another request I had…

"So that means you won't be able to give me reminders of what happens, or reminders of what to do to proceed without getting myself or anyone else killed?"

"Yep! Sorry."

"Oh, no, that's actually good! I was going to ask you if you could stop doing that; if you kept helping me remember stuff, I'd never learn to be able to think for myself and be able to think of how to get out of certain situations! Anyways, once I've ruined the plotline enough, things won't be the same as the manga, so I'll _have _to be able to think on my own!"

"I'm glad you think that way, Philippe!"

"Hm… shouldn't you be sending me back soon? I have no more questions."

"Nope! You're gonna be spending some time telling Celebi about yourself! I mean, you _are_ going to spend the next year or so with… it, right?" Dammit Mew! Why couldn't you have let slip what Celebi is?

"I guess so…"

"Alright! Time for _me _to go, then! Same with you, Lugia!"

"I apologize for having to leave so abruptly." Alright, starting to think Lugia apologizes more than Red does.

They both teleport, leaving Celebi and I alone.

Now, Celebi's much different than Mew, physically. It's the same height, the same as a thirteen, fourteen year old… whatever. I guess their appearances change as I grow older as well. Anyways, Celebi has a smaller chest, but its arms and legs are the same… I still can't tell if it's a boy or a girl! Now I know how Professor Oak feels…

Alright. Small bust, but some girls have those, so that doesn't tell me anything. Small arms and legs, but that doesn't tell me anything either, because I know of some guys who are physically small, just like that. The hips don't tell me anything… The facial features aren't developed enough either… Dammit!

"Alright then! Now, let's do something about this room…" Celebi points its finger and the entire room changes from pink and fluffy to green and wild. Not wild as in, a "Wild boy" or "Wild dog," but wild as in… natural, for lack of a better word.

"Much better! So! How about you tell me a little about yourself?"

"Well, I'm an Aquarius… speaking of which, are there even horoscopes here?"

"Beats me, why should I know? You should really ask Arceus about that kind of stuff. Although, if you ever get to meet him I'm not sure…"

"If I follow the story accurately then I should. Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum get to meet him, don't they? Him, Her, It, not sure what Arceus is. What _should _the God Pokémon be, anyways? If it were a male, that'd be an insult to females. If it were a female, that'd be an insult to males. If it were an it… that'd either be an insult to both genders, or an insult to neither."

"You talk too much, you know that?"

"Only to you Legendaries. Around Red I'm much quieter."

"And why's that? I thought being around someone you loved would have you talking to them as much as possible!"

"I guess I don't have to tell you that, since you already know. Anyways, I don't talk to people I have feelings for – which has only been once before Red, mind you, – because… I fear that if I say something to them… it'll come out wrong and I'll say the wrong thing. I guess that's why I always spoke with my 'friends' back home. I wanted them to leave me alone, but… I was never mean enough to just tell them to 'get the eff away from me.' I was trying to get _them _to not want to be around _me. _I now think that that's why other people didn't want to be around me either; because of how I acted around my 'friends.' Anyways, back on topic. That's also why I never spoke to the guy back on Earth; I was scared of saying the wrong thing and looking like an idiot in front of him."

"Now I have another question. If you say you're in love with Red so much, why did you allow yourself to have feelings for this other boy?"

"Because my brain and my heart were battling each other. Also, you don't 'let' yourself fall in love; you just do. Anyways, my brain and heart were battling. My brain was saying that it'd be impossible to ever meet Red, and that even if I did, there'd be little to no chance in hell that he'd be gay, and that even if he _was_, which, I recently found out he is, that there'd be little to no chance in hell that he'd like someone like me… So, my brain figured that it'd be much more possible to just find a guy on Earth to fall in love with. Even though there'd be an incredibly small chance for him to be gay as well, and an even smaller chance for him to fall in love with me like I did him… it'd still be a much higher chance than I have with Red. And then… my heart. My heart longed for Red, my heart kept telling me that anything was possible if I believed hard enough. My heart kept telling me that I'd someday be able to meet Red, that I'd someday be able to talk to him and tell him how I felt. My heart didn't know if he'd like me back or not, but it was telling me that there's always a chance, no matter how small, that he would. I guess my heart was right in the end… I'm here, aren't I? Red's gay, isn't he? All that's left is to find out whether or not he likes me… Green likes me, but not in the same way that I like Red. I'm saying 'like' way too often here, aren't I? It's really… love, I guess. I felt this way since a year before I was brought here, and I've been feeling the same way these past… three? four? years that I've been here."

"Yeah… you _really_ talk a lot." Not my fault. _You _were the one who asked me the question.

"So, how do you feel?"

"Feel? What do you mean?"

"How do you feel about having to leave Red so soon after being reunited with him?" …What?

"The look on your face tells me you haven't quite realized what this means… I hate to be the one to tell you this, but even you said yourself that you were going to have to follow the story as it plays out, right? In that case, you have to travel to the Johto region to follow Gold, Silver, and Crystal. You'll have to leave Kanto, and with that, leave Yellow, Blue, Green… and Red." I… never thought of that before. I knew I'd have to eventually leave for Johto, but… I never thought that I'd actually have to leave _Red_. What timing, too… right after we're reunited, I have to leave him again…

"I'm sorry, Philippe… but that's the way it has to be. You'll have some time to figure out what you'll say to them before you leave. It's not for another week or so that you have to get on the boat to Johto to reach Newbark Town in time for Gold's departure." What… what am I going to say to him? What _can _I say that he'll accept?

"You'll figure something out, Philippe… Anyways, I'm thinking now's a good time to end this conversation. Good luck…"

* * *

What to say, what to say… Arceus, I have no idea what to tell him!

"Hey, Red! Now that we've reunited and all of our friends are together again, I'm gonna leave you, just like you left me! And this time it's gonna be for an entirely different continent! See ya!"

Yeah, that's gonna go well.

"Philippe, what's wrong? You've had this blank look in your eyes all day!"

Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow have all accompanied me to the Celadon Department Store where we're having another shopping spree, similar to the one we had right after my last disaster.

"Sorry… I just… have a lot on my mind right now."

"Nothing shopping won't help! Why don't you help Yellow and I pick out some clothes?" Clothes shopping with girls… Go- Arceus help me!

It's not like I have anything better to do.

"Sure." I get up and walk with the girls, leaving Red and Green alone. Not sure that was the smartest idea… but if what Green told me was true, Red's probably not gonna want to talk to him whatsoever, so he should be safe.

We walk into the nearest clothing store and the two girls go wild. I don't remember this place the last time I was here… Oh well. It was a couple years ago; they've probably added more stores since then.

"Oh, how about this one?" Blue runs up to us with a dress in her hands, one that's a bit too… short, for someone her age. Yellow blushes. Oh, I knew Yellow couldn't be that innocent!

"How about trying it on? Then we'd be able to tell much better if it suited you or not." You just wanna see her in the dress, don't you, Yellow?

"Alright! Wait out here for a sec. Yellow, go find clothes of your own!" I go with Yellow and try to help her pick out a dress. We find one similar to Blue's, although a bit longer and yellow instead of blue, and go back to the dressing room to see Blue standing outside.

"It's…" Yellow's speechless.

"It looks good on you."

"Thanks, Philippe! Now, how about you get changed into yours?" Yellow walks into the changing room and Blue turns to me.

"So… what's going on with you and Red?"

"Nothing, Blue. Nothing at all. Why should anything be going on?"

"Please! Don't tell me you haven't been dropping hints!"

"I haven't. I don't want to ruin what we have!"

"Come _on_, Philippe! That kind of thinking will have you two _never _get together!"

"Well, how about you? Do _you _like anyone?"

"Well, there _is _one person in particular… but I won't tell you who!"

"Fine… But, just so you know, I know someone who's into you." Blue stares at me with her mouth wide open. Before she can speak, Yellow comes out of the changing room.

"Yellow, your dress is to you as Blue's dress is to her; they look perfect!" Yellow blushes, as does Blue.

"You know, sometimes you act so straight that you can fool even me!"

"Sorry…"

Blue and Yellow look at each other with a devious look in their eyes… Uh-oh.

"Say, Philippe?" Yellow asks.

"I've forgotten something in the changing room… could you get it for me?" But… wasn't she just there? And why can't she get it herself? It _is _the "Woman's" changing room.

"Sorry, but I can't quite enter because of my gender." I remind them.

"Pleaaaaase?" I know I'm going to regret this…

"Fine." Yellow squeals in delight. What are they planning?

I walk into the changing room and look around, not seeing anything.

I turn around to walk out but am immediately pushed back in by four hands. What the fu-

Oh.

My.

Arceus.

I'm being ambushed by the two girls! They shove me to the ground and start… _stripping me? _Alright, I can honestly say: I have never been more weirded the eff out in my entire life.

After they've taken off my clothes, Blue sticks her hand into her bag and pulls out…

…

Alright. The next time I see her, she's dead. _D. E. A. D. _Same with Yellow.

Blue pulled out a dress, and they're both now forcing me into it. I'm not sure which I should be more creeped out by: The fact that both girls are forcing me into a dress, or the fact that they know what my dress size is.

After I'm in their outfit, they take my own clothes and run out. So… was this their plan all along? To lure me into the changing room and force me into a dress? I turn around to start chasing them, not caring what I'm in, when I catch sight of the mirror. I look into it and…

Have I really changed this much?

I can faintly remember what I looked like before I came here, but this… the person I see in the mirror is nothing like him. Not because of the dress, but… the features.

My face is much smoother than it was before, probably due to the fact that I haven't hit puberty yet – in this body, at least; mentally… – I'm much shorter, also due to that fact. One thing that's the biggest difference is my weight. It's to be expected, because of how much running for my life I've been doing, but… I'm still not quite at that point where I believe that this is how I actually am. That this is how I actually look…

I've spent enough time looking at myself. Time to go chase those girls!

I run out of the changing room, and amazingly I don't catch any surprised looks. Do I really look that much like a girl…? And why aren't they running after me for shoplifting? If Blue planned this out, she could've paid for that dress ahead of time… She _really _like planning ahead, doesn't she?

I run out of the store and back to the food court where I left Red and Green. If anyone knows where the girls are, it'd be them. They probably went to them anyways, seeing as if I know Blue… She probably did this just to see Red's reaction. Green's too, I guess.

As I approach where we left them, I see that my thoughts were accurate. I see the two girls, as well as Red and Green, talking.

"Excuse me. If I could have a word with you two…" I say, not at all hiding the malice in my voice and the glare towards Blue and Yellow. They just giggle.

"Oh, and who might you be?" …Am I seriously looking enough like a girl to be able to fool Red?

"Just a friend of ours." Not a lie, Blue, but not the entire truth, either.

"Oh? You're a friend of Blue's? What's your name?" Blue and Yellow are giggling much more now.

"I would much rather have Blue introduce me… I'm sure she'd be able to do it much better." Blue now gets a look of horror on her face.

"Why can't you? I mean, you should know yourself much better than anyone else does, right?"

"While that is true, I'd still much rather have my 'friend' introduce me. She knows both of us, so she should be able to do it much better." Red agrees and looks expectedly towards Blue.

"Hehe… backfired."

"Not really, Blue. Just introduce them!" Yellow pushes.

"Alright! Well, this is my friend, Red. Also known as the Kanto Regional Champion!" Red looks embarrassed… how cute.

"You don't have to tell everyone that every time you introduce me, Blue."

"But it's your best quality!" Not really.

"Anyways, how about your friend?"

"Hehe…" Here it comes…

"You should already know who it is, Red."

"I should?"

I wonder what he'll think…

"Yeah! My friend's name is…"

Red looks a bit confused as to the lead up Blue's building, but he'll soon understand.

"Philippe." The total amount of money we've spent on this shopping spree: Around 100,000 poké. The amount of money we've spent in the clothing store: Around 18,000 poké. The amount my dress cost: Around 6,000 poké. The look on Red's and Green's faces: Priceless.

"W… W-what?!" Red shouts, loud enough for the entire court to hear him.

"You… can't be… serious…" Even Green's stuttering; what an accomplishment, Blue!

"If you want someone to blame, blame her." I point towards Blue, who's currently laughing her ass off with Yellow.

"They're the ones who forced this upon me!"

One quick thought: How did my voice not lead them to who I really am? I mean, seriously! I can't sound _that _much like a girl! …Can I?

Red and Green have both finally calmed down enough to listen to me, and after I explained what happened they both got up and began to chase Blue and Yellow. This lasted for about ten minutes, at which point they all ended back at the table, tired out.

"So, who's going to pay for this?" I ask Blue.

"Oh… don't worry… I've already… paid for everything…" Blue says, panting.

"Why did you two… do that to him?! I mean…" Red can't even say a complete sentence!

"Because it was… fun!" Maybe for you, Yellow, but for me…

You know what? It actually was fun; the last time I was in a dress was a long time ago, back when I cosplayed on Earth. Although, that one was much frillier than this one… Now that I take a good look at the dress, it's plain. Just like Yellow and Blue's. Just a plain dress in the color… Ok, now I'm seriously going to kill Blue and Yellow.

She picked out a red dress for me.

A red dress.

Red.

Seriously, can she _be _any more subtle?!

"You know what? Let's just drop this all… Blue, if you wouldn't mind, could I please have my clothes back?"

"You're no fun…"

I go back to the changing room and change back into my normal clothes. I walk back to the food court to see that they're all still talking.

"Red… could I speak to you for a moment?" Red nods and gets up, while Yellow and Blue both mumble to each other.

"What is it?" Red asks after I've brought him out of hearing range of the others.

"Um… I know that we've all gotten back together, and we're all having fun and what not, but… there's something I have to tell you." Red gets a concerned look on his face.

"What is it, Philippe?"

"I…" I clear my throat.

"I've gotten tickets for the S.S. Anne."

"…And? While I admit that you're much braver than me in that respect, going back to that devil ship, why is it so important that you had to drag me here?"

"I… I've decided to go to the Johto region." Red now has a confused look.

"The… Johto region? What for?"

"Red, I've always been a burden to you and the others. The only time I've ever helped out was during that last battle against Lance, and even then I only suggested which attack we should use to stop him. Venusaur, Blastoise, Charizard, and Pikachu were the ones who really did the work. You, Blue, Green, and Yellow as well, because you were the ones who trained the Pokémon. You can't say that I also helped because of how I trained Pikachu, because Pikachu was strong to begin with; it was his own power that aided in the attack. I've only been a hindrance to you all… So I've decided that it'd be best if I travelled to the Johto region to get stronger, so I won't be a burden to any of you any longer. Please understand, Red…"

"Philippe, you're not a hindrance! You've helped us all along the way, ever since we first met you! If it weren't for you, I probably would've died multiple times over!"

"Yes, but if it weren't for _you, _I probably would've never made it out of that forest! I probably would've stayed there for the rest of my life, or just stayed in Pallet Town for the rest of my life. And even if I had ventured out into the world with my own Pokémon, I probably would've died before I had even reached the next town! I've only been holding you back, Red… The others are the ones that really saved you, not me. I'm sorry, but I have to do this…" Red begins to speak, but I stop him.

"I have to get stronger, like you. I have to learn how to work with my Pokémon, like Green. I have to learn how to be stronger myself, learn how to overcome my fears, like Blue. I have to learn how to become closer with my Pokémon, like Yellow. I have to learn how to be like all of you, and I don't think I can do that with you being my crutch the entire way. I have to do this alone, Red… Please, please understand!"

"I… I guess you're just like me. When you get your mind wrapped around something, it never lets go." I guess we really are similar in that respect.

"Also… Please… tell the others only _after _I've left. I don't want to see their faces when they're told… It was hard enough seeing yours."

"I promise."

* * *

Author's Note:

It feels weird that the Yellow arc's coming to a close... I was actually planning on it taking much longer, but somehow it came much quicker than I had expected. Oh well; it just means that I'm gonna be able to introduce an entire new set of characters, and put some on reserve for a while. The only thing that I don't like about it is that I'll be leaving Red... _again. _I guess I could just do what most major manga/anime producers do: Tons and tons of filler chapters! Well, not too many. Maybe one or two.


	49. Departure

"I hate to be the one to bring up this topic, but I know it's something we've all been wondering: What exactly happened to all of you?" It's been a couple of days since I told Red that I'd be leaving soon – I didn't tell him the day I was to depart, otherwise his face would've prevented me from leaving– and I think now it's been long enough since the events on the island that people should be more comfortable talking about them.

"I'll go first." Green's willing to talk? What a shock!

"After Koga and I left, I returned to him his Golbat, naturally. He then had it use Supersonic, like he did when we were fighting him in the Silph building. It wasn't long after that that we found our enemy: Agatha."

"Lucky… It took us hours to find Bruno!" And it took him only seconds. Figures.

"We avoided her Arbok's attack by Koga throwing one of his 'Pokéball Ninja Stars.' It's what the name implies; he threw it and had his own Arbok come out without Agatha noticing. They battled for a while, Arbok VS. Arbok, then Agatha used a trick only members of the Elite Four would use; she had her Arbok use Rock Slide, bringing down rocks on us, as well as stalactites."

"The Elite Four was notorious for using dirty tricks like that; I bet they used some on all of us!" I like being able to say "The Elite Four _was…"_

"Bruno didn't use any tricks against us. He was actually completely fair in our battle. The stage he used was even a wild Onix; although, you could argue that since he was a Fighting and Rock trainer, he had the advantage… But we still ended up beating him in the end." I wonder what happened to him… He left before we got a chance to talk some more. I like him more than the other members; at least _he _didn't try to outright kill us. He gave us a chance.

"Anyways…" Green says, annoyed by the interruption, "While we were dodging the stalactites, Agatha then sent out her Gengar, unbeknownst to either of us, and had him lick me." Hehehe… someone licking Green…

"I was completely paralyzed, leaving Koga to fend for himself." I'm surprised that Green's actually letting us know how he was rendered useless… I thought he'd skip over that part.

"Golbat's Supersonic helped me know what was going on, although Agatha had another dirty trick planned; she had a Golbat as well, and its Supersonic was interfering with Koga's. The only way I was able to know what was going on was with my hearing. It seems both Agatha and Koga had pretty much the same Pokémon. Although, Agatha knew a thing or two more about hers than Koga did with his. She had her Arbok change patterns on its stomach. She first had it change its pattern to increase its speed, then to increase its power when it was ready to strike. Her Arbok then bit Koga's Arbok's tail off." Ouch… Wait… wasn't Koga's Arbok sliced in half at the Silph building? In that case… is this another one, or did that one somehow come back to life? Anything's possible in the world of Pokémon!

"He sent out Muk and Weezing after that, having them use Poison Gas and Smog. I don't know _what _he was thinking! He could've killed not only Agatha, but the two of us as well!" I think Green's having fun complaining about Koga.

"And what made it worse is that she had Arbok change patterns to one that makes it invulnerable to poison! Koga sent some medicine over using his 'Pokéball Ninja Stars;' he had another Arbok holding a Paralyze Heal. That cured my paralysis and I quickly defeated her Golbat. I went back to Koga to see his Arbok regenerating from the attack." So… Arbok are like starfish?

"He had his own Golbat bite his arm and used the blood to cover Arbok's patterns, rendering the invulnerability useless. He and I finished Agatha off. However…" Green gives a little smile, "Agatha was just using her Pokémon as a diversion. She had her Arbok ready to strike Koga with a Poison Sting that would've finished him, but I noticed it before it was able to strike. I stopped the attack and saved Koga's life." There we go! Green's back to being his egocentric self.

"After the battle, we still had to get out of that maze. The stalactites that had fallen had formed the maze, making it that much harder to escape. We kept going around in circles, ending up at the same spot we started at! Koga said that he was much more tired than he was before, and that it wasn't because of the loss of blood. After that, I caught something out of the corner of my eye, and it turned out to be another trick of Agatha's. She had her Gengar hide in Koga's shadow, sucking the life right from him! I sent out Golduck and he sent out Koffing, but her Gengar was too strong… So, I did what she had done earlier; I sent out the rest of my Pokémon to fight. The Gengar kept switching between shadows, hiding in the floor; it was just toying with us!"

"It appeared that the more shadows that there were, the more places Gengar had to hide. We were forced to return any Pokémon that we had sent out. At that time I had realized that Gengar preferred physical attacks over special attacks; whenever either of our Pokémon attacked Gengar, he used Counter to reflect the damage right back at them. I sent out Porygon and had it use Conversion, turning it into a Ghost type just like Gengar and rendering physical attacks useless. I then had Porygon use Sharpen to increase its attack while Gengar was jumping from shadow to shadow. I finally realized that there was nothing that either of us could do in regards to stopping Gengar from shifting from shadow to shadow without doing something to interrupt it first. It was reacting to _something _before it shifted shadows. I had moved far away from Koga in order to stop Gengar from hopping from Porygon's or my shadow to Koga's. It was then that I realized that the Gengar was reacting to any _sound _that it heard. Agatha's absence helped bring me to that conclusion; since she wasn't on the scene, there had to be something else that was guiding its movements." Typical Agatha. Controlling her Pokémon from afar.

"After that, Koga had let his Koffing use Smoke Screen. This made it so that if Gengar heard a sound, it'd attack in the direction of said sound, but it wouldn't know if anything else was around it. So, Koga had his Arbok's tail move around, creating noise. Gengar reacted to the sound that the tail made and attacked in its direction, and Porygon was able to attack before Gengar had enough time to react to _its _sound." Smart, smart. See, Green? Two heads _are _better than one!

"Agatha came out of hiding and tried once more at defeating us, but failed. I won't bore you with the details." Yet you were perfectly fine in telling us everything else? Oh well.

"My turn! My turn!" Blue shouts.

"Very well. Nothing major happened after that."

"Alright! Well, not too long after we had left where we split up, we came across a pedestal of ice, and inside the pedestal was the Earth Badge! Right as we noticed it, someone had their Pokémon shoot an Ice Beam at us, gluing Sabrina's and my wrists together!" Yellow puts on a little pouty face. So subtle, aren't we?

"Obviously the trainer was Lorelei. Somehow she had her Jynx create ice dolls of Sabrina and I – talk about creepy – and anything that she'd use her lipstick for on the dolls happened to the real us!" So… voodoo dolls?

"She said that's how she was able to trap you, Red." _Now _things are starting to make sense!

"She also said that if the dolls shattered, so would we! That made the entire battle that much harder… having to defeat her, _and _make sure not to break the dolls! Anyways, she had Cloyster use Ice Beam on us, and since we were in our predicament, neither of us knew which way to turn! I pulled to the left, Sabrina pulled to the right." These guys are much better story tellers than I am… I wonder if they're going to expect me to tell them what happened to Bill, Surge and I?

"Since we had nowhere to run I sent out my Nidoqueen and Sabrina sent out her Venomoth. She had Venomoth use Sleep Powder, Cloyster used Blizzard to blow it away, and in the end it was _my _Pokémon that was put to sleep!" I see Green's lips turning upwards in a grin.

"After that she had her Jynx Thrash at us. We got out of range, but then Lorelei used a trick, just as Agatha did with you; she was holding Horsea hostage!" Red and Yellow both give a gasp.

"I… fell for the trap. She said if I wanted Horsea back safe, I'd have to go over there and get her. I started to move across the gap, Sabrina tried to stop me… but Jynx was able to use Pound, and that knocked me unconscious. I don't know what happened after that… until I regained conscious who knows how much later. When I woke up we were falling, not too far from the ground, but not too close as to not have enough time to send out Blastoise and have him catch us. Blastoise then used his Water Gun like a jet pack. Lorelei couldn't believe it! At that point it turns out Lorelei had been targeting me from the beginning and had not paying any attention to Sabrina. That girl sure knows how to hold a grudge. And, uh… I think it's time I tell everyone the truth…" Is she now going to explain her fear of birds? Or the fact that she had been abducted before? Because those are the only two secrets I remember her having.

"After the Pokémon League Tournament two years ago, I had begun a journey to find a giant bird Pokémon that had abducted me while I was a little girl," – Insert gasps – "and called up a friend." Silver!

"I explained to him what Lance was planning on doing and how to defeat it. Speaking of which… Philippe, how did _you_ know how to defeat it?" There was only one way of defeating Lugia?

"Uh… well, I knew that it was Lance's strongest weapon, meaning that it had to have been stronger than any other of his Pokémon, so… I knew that we'd have to use an attack that was much stronger than anything we had ever done before. And what's stronger than a triangle attack? With Pikachu's attack thrown in the mix. I'm still not sure why Yellow used her healing powers in an offensive attack…"

"It's because Blue told me that the only way to defeat the bird was by using a combination of another Viridian trainer's powers, as well as the power of a Pokémon born in the Viridian Forest. Since Pikachu had already added his powers to the attack, I just needed to add mine and it'd be perfect." Yellow explains.

"Exactly. Soon after I called my friend I saw Pikachu running by, and that's around the same time I met you, Yellow!" Alright, so… If I'm not mistaken… Blue knows Yellow's a girl because of their planning together, Green probably knows Yellow's a girl because he's Green, Blaine knows Yellow's a girl because of the incident that happened on Cerise – Dammit Mew! Stop helping me remember stuff! – And I know Yellow's a girl because, well… I'm me. Which means that the only person that doesn't know that Yellow's a girl is… Red. That's hilarious!

"After I explained all of that to Lorelei-"

"Wait, you explained everything to Lorelei? Why?! Isn't that what the bad guy's supposed to do?" Red interrupts.

"Red, it's rude to interrupt. Anyways, it's because I knew that I had already won! I had sent out Clefable while I was explaining things to her, and had her use Minimize to avoid being seen. She ran to Cloyster and stole the dolls that Lorelei had created of us, and by the time Lorelei realized what had happened Clefable was already half-way back to me! I just had Blastoise cover her tracks. But… then Clefable tripped due to an attack… and dropped the dolls, causing the cuffs to be broken off and at the same time, my hand." Insert more gasps. I'm wondering how long Blue's gonna wait until explaining to them that it was Ditto all along. And also, since I know you can hear this: Stop reminding me of things, Mew.

A few seconds later, Blue fills them in.

"Oh, don't look like that! It was Ditto! I had pulled my arm into my jacket, keeping it hidden, and had Ditto pretend to be my arm! I had it all planned out from the beginning, even before the cuff had been placed on our wrists!" Well, if that was me, I would've never have thought of that.

"And then I went to look for you! Sabrina and I went our separate ways after that."

"I guess it's my turn now. After everyone else had left, Blaine and I started heading out as well. Nothing much was happening, until we saw a bright flash of light. We headed towards the light, and guess what we saw? Philippe and the others battling Bruno! The light wasn't actually a light… it was the barrier that Bruno had set up to avoid any interruptions. Hehe… I tried breaking through, but it was no use. After that we just sat there and watched the battle. Eventually, Red came to save the day! However, because of Surge's Electrode's explosion… Blaine explained to me that the 'wall between the caves and the underground water had fallen', and that all the water was rushing towards us! Blaine and I grabbed onto some of the stalactites that had fallen and waited out the tsunami." Yellow begins.

"Blaine told a riddle that explained our predicament at that time; he asked 'What has one entrance but three exits?' The answer was a sweater, but he then asked it again, this time using our own situation. 'If we ask 'What has only one entrance, but no exits,' would you say Cerise Island?' He then said that the only way to be able to escape from Cerise Island was to beat the Elite Four."

"He sent out his Growlithe and had him light a torch, and we continued down the corridor. As we walked, we eventually came to an opening, a giant room in the middle of the cave. As we walked further in, we saw a silhouette of a trainer and a Pokémon. When we got close enough to see, we found out it was Lance and his Aerodactyl! Blaine insisted on going at it alone, saying that we'd need to combine our powers in order to defeat him." Yeah, that makes so much sense.

"He told me to watch Lance's battle techniques and charged forth. He sent out his Pokémon and Lance had his Aerodactyl use Hyper Beam. His Pokémon caught the beam. Guess what it was?" Yellow looks expectedly towards Red and I.

"Mewtwo?" I guess.

"Yeah! It was Mewtwo!" At least me giving him back to Mew didn't ruin the storyline like I had feared.

"Lance had his Aerodactyl cause the ceiling to crash down on us, so we had to run for our lives. He then had his Aerodactyl send a Supersonic towards us, but Mewtwo's Barrier protected us from it. Blaine said that we still weren't going to attack, and that we should continue watching its attack patterns. Blaine was being a complete idiot; the longer Mewtwo's Barrier was up, the more damage both Mewtwo and he were going to take!" Mewtwo's body is still connected with Blaine's, I guess. Mewtwo must not like that very much.

"Blaine had Mewtwo raise us, including the Barrier, off the ground, and had us crash the Barrier into Aerodactyl, knocking him unconscious. Lance then sent out two Dragonair. He had his two Dragonair 'Call upon the winds' and 'Call upon the thunder-clouds!' He had them create a twister, catching us in the middle of it, with thunder striking everywhere! Blaine said that we had to attack because the Barrier wouldn't be able to take much more of the constant battering. Mewtwo let down the Barrier and Blaine had him create a giant tornado of his own! It was 'Torrential Rain and Thunderclouds' VS 'Tornado.' Blaine had Mewtwo use Psywave to interrupt the Dragonair's attacks, and had the Tornado suck them in. The Dragonair made it to the center of the storm, the eye of the storm, where it was absolute calm, allowing them to attack again! Mewtwo went back to Blaine to protect him from Lance's Aerodactyl's attack." Wasn't Aerodactyl knocked out? Well, this is Lance we're talking about.

"Mewtwo used his giant spoon to block Aerodactyl's wings. They started having a close combat battle, Mewtwo's giant spoon VS Aerodactyl's wings. Blaine fell to his knees at that point… He explained to me about how he and Mewtwo couldn't be separated for too long, and how his body was degenerating." If they can't be apart, why did he give me Mewtwo's pokéball…? Oh well… Mewtwo was returned to him before the degeneration had gotten too bad, at least. I hope Blaine doesn't make the same mistake again by returning him to me… At least, not until he figures out a way to be able to be apart from Mewtwo without the effects being too harmful. Speaking of which… dammit! I'm not going to see Mew for who knows how long, and I already have another question for her! If Mewtwo's a Legendary, and has been around since before humans, how and why did he allow himself to be… "created?" by Blaine? Speaking of which… was he really "created" by Blaine if he was supposedly around when the world was created? This is too confusing…

"Blaine said that he had to end the battle quickly, because Mewtwo had very little time left to fight before the degeneration started up again. Blaine said that Lance was certain he was going to win, so that we should attack him while he was gloating. He said that the only way to do that was to render his other Pokémon useless; he said Mewtwo's spoon was the only way. He had me go after Aerodactyl while he went after Lance himself." Smart move, Blaine. That's what almost got you killed, was it not?

"I distracted Aerodactyl while Blaine went behind Lance and had Mewtwo smash the remaining pokéballs. After that Lance was down… but not for long. Just as we thought we had won, Lance stood back up! He said that Mewtwo had an immense amount of power… but not enough to be able to win the battle against him. He then said something that I think would be along the lines of Lorelei's and Agatha's 'tricks.' He said that the pokéballs that we had destroyed were empty, and that the Pokémon inside them had been released long before our battle, waiting underground! They broke through the ground and returned to Lance just as he was explaining this. Mewtwo broke free of the pain it was in and began fighting again, even though the amount of time it was allowed to be out had ran out…" I wonder what Mew would've done to Mewtwo if she had seen what he did…

"Lance then explained to Mewtwo that if he continued to fight, he'd not only kill himself but his trainer as well. He explained the connection that he had with Blaine, although Mewtwo probably already knew this. Mewtwo rushed forward to attack Lance… but Blaine returned him to his pokéball. Blaine knew that if he had let Mewtwo continue fighting, that not only he would die, but Mewtwo would as well, and… he just wouldn't have been able to live with the guilt." Uh… Yellow? Blaine would've been dead as well.

"So it was up to me to finish the battle. Lance laughed at my team, but I just had to try! Graveler, Omanyte, Caterpie, Raticate, and Doduo. Lance commented on the fact that none of them had evolved, and you should've seen his face when I said that it's because I didn't let them evolve! Lance said that he wouldn't let it go like it did last time, so he healed his Pokémon." This time, all but I gasped.

"Yes, Lance has healing powers, just like I do. Blaine didn't even know that, so at that point he told me that it'd be impossible to win with my Pokémon and with Lance's at full power. If they had remained weakened by Mewtwo, maybe… but not after being healed. He told me to go find you guys, so I returned my Pokémon and ran off to find you and… you know the rest."

"Yellow, not that I'm doubting your story at all, but… If you say that Lance healed all of his Pokémon right before you left, then that means that the combined attack that we all did was able to one-hit all of his Pokémon, including himself!" Now I'm truly amazed at how powerful that attack was.

"No wonder it knocked you unconscious." Green says with a snort.

"Hey! At least it took much more this time to knock me out!"

"Yeah! And it was _his _plan that allowed us to beat the bird!" Thanks, Red!

"Although, if he hadn't of come up with it, I still had the plan figured out myself." Really, Blue? You had to take my spotlight?

"Anyways, all's done and over with."

"Not quite. Red, you still haven't explained to us about how you got captured in the first place!" Blue's right; I'm curious as to how as well. Mew must've heard my comments and has stopped reminding me of things.

"Hehe… it's like you guys said: The Elite Four loves playing unfairly. I was fighting Bruno, one on one, until the other two showed up and all fought me at once. It was only because of that, three on one, that I was defeated. And it only ended when Lorelei decided to freeze me into a statue! Otherwise I would've won…" I _knew _Red couldn't have been _that _easily defeated!

"Uh… what now?" I don't know, Blue… what _is _there to talk about now?

"Hm… I'm not really sure…"

I don't like awkward silences.

Never have.

Never will.

What am I going to do?!

The only thing that I can think of that would be appropriate to talk to them about is that I'm leaving.

I know that I _should_ tell them that I'm going to be leaving… but…

If I see any of their faces, I know that I'll be even more tempted to stay.

And if I see Red's again…

Then I will stay.

I'm just not sure what to do!

"How about we call it a day? It's getting late, so we should all be heading back to the PokéCenter." Thank you for saving me from that silence, Yellow!

At least I'll only have a little while longer until the departure. At least then I won't be feeling this way… it'll be done and over with, and there wouldn't be a thing that I could do to change that. Unless I chose to jump overboard and swim back to shore. Which I'm positive I'm not going to do. Although, I could have Dragonair surf me back… Wait… Dammit! What am I going to do about my Pokémon? I know that I'll need them to fight in Johto, but… There's going to be so many Pokémon in Johto that I'm going to catch, and I can only hold six at once! Maybe I could ask Professor Oak to hold onto them…

I stop my thinking when I see Green walking up to me. Everyone else has left… Uh-oh…

"So, Philippe. What are you still doing here?"

"Sorry. I got… lost in thought."

"Shouldn't you be packing?" What?

"What do you mean?"

"I overheard what you and Red were talking about a while ago." So… he knows? Well, at least it's him and not Blue or Yellow. He won't be able to get me to stay back, not at all!

"So, you're going to Johto, huh? I heard that there's a whole bunch of new Pokémon to catch there, as well as an entire different League! Maybe you could win it and you and Red could both be Pokémon Masters, huh?" …Is Green actually… being nice?

"Heh… I'm sorry about before, Philippe. I know that it must've been severely awkward for you to be around me and Red at the same time. I just… don't really know what to say."

"There's nothing else _to_ say, is there?" Harsh, but I honestly don't have anything to say to him right now.

"You're right… Well, I'll say it again. I'm sorry." Green takes a step closer towards me and…

Gives me a kiss on the cheek.

"Goodbye, Philippe. Don't get yourself killed, alright?"

He turns around and leaves me there, dumbstruck.

* * *

Author's Note:

Fastest. Update. Ever! And, to be completely honest... I wrote the last chapter entirely yesterday. So... yeah. Fastest I've ever written! Anyways, after this will start the GSC arc. Before that happens, however, I have a question to ask. I've been thinking about rewriting the first several chapters because of how much my writing's changed. I won't change any of the events or occurences, so you won't have to re-read the chapters. I'm just thinking of rewriting them because... I said that this was my first fic, so it wouldn't be very good until I got the hang of it. Well, I have the hang of it now, and I think that it'd be best to improve upon the beginning chapters. I just wanted to ask what was your opinion on that. And any other opinions you'd want to give to me. AKA, review, please.


	50. Enter the Perverted One

"Last call!"

Alright… here we go. Just a couple more steps and I'll be on the boat. Come on, come on! Just get on already! I try to move my feet, but they just won't…

"Excuse me, but are you going to be joining us?" An attendant asks.

"Uh… yeah." I reach into my pocket and pull out the ticket, handing it to the man.

"We hope you enjoy your trip." I sure hope so, too…

I'm shown my room and am left alone after that. So, this is what it's like to actually be on the cruise ship… instead of sneaking around, stealing a room like the first time, or chasing after Team Rocket the second time. I think it's much better this way. The room's perfect as well. I mean, it should be; they've had two chances to completely re-model the ship after it was destroyed both times.

Oh, I should mention one thing. Right before I left to board the ship, Red remembered that he had something to give to me. It was the hat that I had given him back days before, the one that Mew had given me from his ice sculpture. He said he wanted me to have it; he said it suited me. That's what really made me wonder if I really should get on this boat… but it's as Celebi said: I have to continue with the storyline, and if I want to make it to Johto and Newbark Town before things started, I had to get on this ride.

And a couple of other things… The PokéDex. I had given Red's back to him right after we had made it back from Cerise Island, but he said that I should keep it. I have to agree with him when he said that it was really all of my efforts that had filled it up to the point it had been filled to. Which, by the way, is 100% completion. I snagged an entry of Mew during one of our conversations; I have no idea how it stayed with me. Probably her doing, but oh well. I only hope that Professor Elm will be able to upgrade it when I get to Newbark… Or, at least, give me a new one so I can start on that. Even if this isn't the game, and it's real life, I still should pursue a 100% completion of the PokéDex. Just like Crystal! Hm… I wonder if her mom's as weird as she's written… If she's anything like Red's mom… Arceus help me. Not just that, but _Gold's _mom. What kind of woman would she have to be to have been able to give birth to Gold… the ultimate breed of Perverts. Although, I can't say I'm any better.

The boat finally departs from the dock. Here's the point of no return… there's no going back.

"So, you actually decided to go!" Wha-

What the eff is it doing here?!

"You don't have to be so surprised!" Of course I do! Why are _you _here?!

"Hm… I thought you would've chosen a better room. Oh well." That… _thing _plops itself next to me on the bed, making itself comfortable.

"H-how…"

"Oh? You mean she never did this with you? Hm… I always thought she would've…"

"Of course not! I mean… every time I saw her outside of my mind, she was in her regular form!"

"'Regular' form…? Oh! Ha ha ha! Looks like I've got a lot of explaining to do. You see, Philippe, for us Legendaries, our Pokémon form isn't actually our real form. Mew led you to believe that, but I'm here to correct her mistake!"

"But… if your Pokémon form isn't your real form, and this is your real form… what makes you any different from the Guardians?"

"_Because _we can switch between our Pokémon and Guardian forms at will! Watch!" Celebi twirls in a circle, begins to shrink, lifts itself up in the air, and turns into the form I know best.

It floats around the room for a minute, then changes back.

"Although, we can't speak in that form, so it's not really the best in which to communicate with you… Mew did it because she didn't want to mess up your brain too much. It's a lot to take in, I know!"

"Why are you even here?" Mew never spoke to me unless it was after something big, or unless she knew I needed to talk to her.

"Just felt like it." …Just because you were feeling it?

"That's not really much of a reason…"

"Why? I can't show up to talk to you when I feel like it?"

"A little bit of a warning would be nice… especially if I was around other people. You can't just continue to show up unannounced like this!"

"'Can't continue to?' This is the first time! And why can't I?"

"Because! If other people were to see you, what would happen then?"

"No one but you and the others know about our true forms. People would just think that I'm another normal kid!" Dammit. Still can't trick it into revealing its gender.

"Yeah. A normal kid with butterfly wings." Closest thing I can compare them to. Maybe more like a Dragonfly's wings… but… yeah. Wings.

"Oh, those! I can put them away if need be." And to prove it, the wings disappear without a trace.

"Ok, so… can you please at least give me a warning before you pop up?"

"How? I can't speak to your mind like Mew could, remember?" Celebi just likes making things more complicated, doesn't it?

"Fine… Just, try to choose times where I won't be completely freaked out by your appearance." Well, that'd be every time, but sometimes would be better than others. Like, not when I'm crying my heart out to Red. That'd be one of the worst possible times.

"So… how are you feeling?" Celebi asks. Random question, but ok.

"Well, I just left Red, after gaining him back for two weeks after losing him for who knows how long. All the time spent trying to get him back just went by in a blur… I can't really remember much of it, besides the attack on Cerise Island. That, I will never forget…"

"And you shouldn't."

…

"How are _you _doing?"

"Just fine, thank you very much! Now, a word of caution. Yes, things will be more 'normal' than they were at the end of your time in Kanto once you reach Johto, but because of your actions in Kanto, they've had some effect on Johto. I'm just trying to say that not everything will be exactly as you remember." That… helps. I guess.

"Hm… I think you should get some sleep. You're gonna need all the rest you can get for when you finally reach the new region!"

"I guess you're right… Hey. I have a question."

"What is it?"

"Are you a boy, or a girl?"

* * *

It feels like only moments ago I was on the ship, speaking with Celebi, wondering how long it would take to finally reach Johto. Now here I am, standing on the docks of Newbark Town, about to take my first step in the next part of my journey… I think Celebi had a little bit to do with that. I don't think it appreciated my question…

I take the first step into Johto.

It… doesn't really feel that different. I thought it would've had some effect on me, you know? Oh well. I continue walking away from the docks and into the actual town, and not long after I see a boy running after a flying… package? I take a closer look to see that it's not really a "flying package," but a Murkrow carrying the package away. Wait a second… a Murkrow stealing a package… a boy chasing it… said boy in shorts… said boy being followed by a Rattata…

Oh.

My.

Arceus…

It's Youngster Joey and his top-percentage Rattata! Not even several years of being in Kanto could have me forget him!

"Ah…! Hey, mister! Think you could help me?" Joey shouts when he spots me.

"Uh… I might… I don't have any flying Pokémon though." I have one that can levitate, but I don't think that that'd work too well…

"Oh no… if I don't get that package back… I'll be in so much trouble!"

"Even if I don't have a flying Pokémon, two's still better than one, right? Let's catch up to it before it gets away!" I begin running after the Murkrow, Joey following right behind me.

The Murkrow flies all around Newbark Town before it settles in some branches, high in a tree.

"Gah!" Well put, Joey.

"At least it's stopped. Now all we need to do is figure out a plan…" Alright. So… I have Pikachu, Dragonair, Gengar, and Cubone… Cubone could use Bonemerang, but that could damage whatever's inside of the package… so could Thunder… and Shadow Ball… and Psychic… and Water Gun… and Dragon Rage… pretty much every attack that _any _Pokémon can learn, really, could damage the package.

Besides Splash.

Because Splash is useless.

Except for saving Bill's life, but that was under special circumstances.

"Hey!" I hear someone shout from behind us. I turn around and…

Welp.

That was quick.

Not even ten minutes on this continent and I've already run into the next protagonist of the story:

Gold!

"Were you the ones who broke the antenna? How dare you disturb my recreation time!" I would've thought that Gold would be using his "recreation time" for something else…

Bad Philippe, bad!

"I-it's not like that! I'm Joey! I'm no one suspicious!"

"Sneaking around in a person's yard? That's extremely suspicious! Get him, Aipom! Scratch!"

I feel bad for Joey.

Wow… I never thought I'd say that.

"No, you seriously do have it all wrong!" I shout. Gold stops his assault on Joey and turns towards me.

"And who exactly do you-" Halfway through his shouting, his expression changes.

"Hey… I know you!" You… do?

"You're the guy who followed Red all around Kanto!" Great, I'm still known as "That guy who stalked Red."

"Uh… yeah."

"Weren't you, like, fighting the Elite Four on some deserted island not too long ago?" News sure does spread fast. Especially considering this is Johto, and not Kanto.

"A couple weeks ago, yeah."

"Um… excuse me? But, could you two help?!" Oh, right. Joey.

"Help with what?" Gold asks, oblivious to the situation.

"A Murkrow stole his package and it's hiding in that tree right now." I point up.

"It must've been the one who destroyed your antenna, not us!"

"Hm… So, you need help, right?"

"Obviously. Otherwise we would've gotten it down already. I don't have any flying Pokémon, so I can't have one of them go get it."

"It's not like _I _can't climb the tree myself… however, it'd be a bother. How heavy's the bag?"

"Uh… if I had to make an estimation… about five to six kilograms?" Wow. Although I've been passing it off every time prior to this, it still somewhat amazes me that they use the same measurement system that I had back on Earth… who invented it, anyways?

"In that case, might as well do this!" Gold takes the cue stick he had on his back and shoots a pokéball into the air. The pokéball contained his Aipom, and when it broke open he begins to assault the Murkrow.

"Don't fight it! Just bring down the bag!" Aipom scampers over to the bag and ties… rope? around it. Seriously, what is it with Pokémon and carrying useful items around with them _inside_ of the pokéball? Anyways, the Aipom lowers the opposite end of the rope. When it hits the ground, Gold picks it up and tugs a little. Aipom then proceeds to lower the bag to the ground, and with it, raises Gold up, little by little, to the branch that he is situated on.

Gold then takes his cue stick, positions an empty pokéball at the end, and shoots it, catching the Murkrow. Without damaging it whatsoever. Well, not counting the little bit of scratching Aipom did at the beginning. But that doesn't count!

He then jumps down from the tree, a good ten or fifteen feet, and lands perfectly on his feet.

He's just like his Aipom.

And, speaking of his Aipom… the monkey decides to hop down and land on his head. Just at that moment, the rest of his Pokémon decide to come out of "hiding" as well. Hm… Oddish, Drowzee, Sandshrew, Lickitung, and Aipom. Looks like Aipom is the only "Second Generation" Pokémon he has.

"Are all of these… your family's Pokémon? S-sure is a lot…"

"It's been like this since I was born. They're like family to me now! Say… how's your Pokémon?" He gestures towards Joey's Rattata.

"Heh, this guy? He's my first and best friend!" No comment.

"Really? Those teeth really look sharp…"

"Yeah! They can bite through anything! You know, I'm pretty sure that he has to be in, like, the top percentage of Rattata!" Joey sure loves his Rattata, all right.

"Heh… I bet that's not the only thing that's 'Top Percentage.'" What.

What.

What the…

Alright. I'm going to say it.

What. The. Fuck.

I knew that Gold was perverted, but _this _perverted? I never-

Wait.

Did Gold just hit on a guy?

Does that mean…

…

_Is every protagonist here gay?!_

So far it's been Green and Red, Green and I – Ew – Yellow and Blue, Blue and… not sure yet, Red and… not sure yet, and Gold and… Silver? I wonder…

I might even play matchmaker! Because everyone _knows _how well Gold and Silver get along. They're gonna need some help if they're ever to get together.

Anyways…

Looks like Joey didn't pick up on that little comment.

He's so innocent.

"Anyways, nice to meet you, Joey! My name's Gold!"

"Thanks, Gold! If it weren't for you, I would've never gotten my bag back!" Yeah, just typical. I try to help out, but someone else shows up and steals my spotlight.

"Hehe… it was nothing. So, you gotta deliver that, right? Meaning, you're not from around here?"

"That's right."

"And I know that _you're _not from around here as well, right?" He directs towards me.

"Yeah. I got off the ship that arrived here not too long ago… Maybe twenty minutes?"

"So you just got here from Kanto!"

"Yeah. I have to say… I thought Johto would be much different. Turns out it's basically the same. Besides your Aipom. I've never seen one there before."

"_What?!_ You've never seen an Aipom before? You poor, deprived child!"

"Well, actually, I had never seen a Pokémon in my life before I was ten." This earned me two dumbstruck looks from both Gold and Joey.

In unison:

"_What?!_"

"It's true! The first time I had ever seen a Pokémon in my life was when Red dragged me along all throughout Viridian City looking for one! Wait… actually, it was when he was showing some kids how to catch a Pokémon. After that it was when we broke into Professor Oak's lab…" This added additional time to their dumbstruck looks.

"I think it'd be best if we went inside before I told you the entire story…" Gold slowly nodded and brought us into his house.

"Hey, Mom? I have some friends here." He called down the hallway. At least his house is larger than Red's… and larger than the game. I remember… If I remember correctly, it used to be a kitchen and his room. Just like Red's.

"Sure thing! Just be sure to be down for dinner!" Has that much time already gone by? Wow…

"Just follow me!" Gold leads us to his room. Typical boy's room. Completely cluttered, completely disorganized, completely… unlike me. Sorta.

"So, continue." He plops down on his bed.

"Well, the first time we met, I was wandering through the woods of Viridian Forest. I heard a noise coming from nearby, went to investigate it, and it was Red showing some kids how to catch a Pokémon. We chatted, and when he found out that I had no Pokémon he brought me to Professor Oak's lab. He… sorta… accidentally let all the Pokémon loose and we had to spend the next several hours chasing them all over the place." At this point Gold was cracking up.

"One Pokémon that was particularly difficult to find was this guy here." I send out Pikachu.

"He's my first."

"Yeah. I could say the same about Aipom. He's my only 'real' Pokémon; the rest are my mom's." Hm… Red's mom is a Pokémon trainer, Gold's mom is a Pokémon trainer… hopefully that's the only thing they have in common, or else I'll have two mothers trying to hook me up with their sons. Oh Arceus….

Gold's mom trying to hook her son up with me…

Gold and I…

Yeah, that's it. It's now my goal to hook Gold up with Silver, if only to keep him away from myself.

"Now, about what you said earlier… How is it possible that you only saw your first Pokémon when you were 10?!" Hehe… Really, 16, but I can't say that.

"I guess… my parents thought they were too dangerous. So did the community I lived in. We never really had any Pokémon around us, and no one who owned and Pokémon came in." Which isn't a complete lie… If Pokémon existed on Earth, the President, Prime Minister, whatever the leader is of every, or at least, most, countries would ban Pokémon training, Pokémon battles, anything to do with Pokémon because they'd think it was "too dangerous." Or PETA. They'd probably say it was just another form of animal abuse.

"As you can clearly see, Pokémon aren't dangerous at all!" Yeah, _I_ know that.

"How about you go and show your parents they aren't that dangerous?" If I could, I… actually might not. Probably because of what I was told about them thinking I've been dead for the past three years, but… if they thought I was alive… yeah. I'd probably still not go back, even if only to show them. Probably cause they'd die from shock.

"Well… I'm not really close to my parents. And… I haven't seen them in the past three years. They probably think I'm dead or something."

"Then why don't you tell them you're not?"

"Because that'd probably be worse than continuing to let them think I'm dead."

"But… Philippe, you were on live television with Red during the Kanto Championship!" If I knew that at the time, I would most likely have fainted.

"Like I said, they're not into Pokémon whatsoever, and don't want anything to do with it. They don't train them, they don't communicate with them, they don't talk _about _them, even, and they surely don't watch them. I think it's because they don't want the children to get interested in Pokémon and start questioning them about them…" I'm really getting good at this lying business. Although, most lies have a bit of truth in them…

"You really have a messed up past, you know that?" Not as messed up as Red's, Blue's, Silver's, Ruby's, Sapphire's, Emerald's… ok, you know what? A lot of these guys have messed up pasts.

"Nothing I can do to change that. At least it's in the past, and hopefully won't come back to haunt me."

I hear a cough from the corner of the room. Oh, Joey, we completely forgot about you!

"Sorry! You should've said something earlier if you didn't want to be ignored!" That's not how you speak to people, Gold.

"You two were just so into your conversation, I thought it'd be rude to interrupt." It's fine. I interrupt all the time!

"Don't worry about it."

…

Awkward silence time again. There's been so many of these recently.

"Gold, dinner's ready!" We hear his mom shout from downstairs. Thank you for breaking the awkward silence!

"Well, looks like it's time to go!" We all head downstairs and are seated at the table.

"Since Gold didn't tell me that he was bringing friends over, I didn't have much time to make enough… So, Gold, you're just going to have to share your food." Insert groan here.

"No groaning! You're the one who brought them over, so you're the one who's going to feed them!" Stern mom. At least she's less… assertive than Red's.

Joey and I steal bits and pieces from Gold's plate, much to our amusement. He tries to move his plate away from us so we're not able to steal anything, but the moment he moves it to the right so I can't reach it, Joey steals a bit, and as soon as he moves it to the left so Joey can't reach it, I steal a bit. He really can't win this battle.

Eventually we've had enough and let Gold have the rest. Which isn't much.

"Now hopefully you'll give me a little warning next time you decide to have friends over." Wasn't really his fault; he never knew we were coming.

"Yeah, yeah…" He grumbles.

We all go back upstairs to his room, only to find out that now it's time for us to go to sleep.

Sleep.

At 9pm?

Seriously?

The last time I went to bed at 9pm was… probably when I was young enough to have a bedtime.

Guess it's normal here.

And, to be honest, I am a bit tired from the boat ride here.

Even though I was asleep for most of the ride.

Oh well. I guess I should be getting to bed anyways.

Not like there's much to do with everyone else asleep.

* * *

Author's Note:

Since it's the beginning of a new arc, I'd really appreciate any comments you people have on how to make my writing better. Actually, I'd appreciate them at any time. So... Yeah. That's it.


	51. Enter the Redhead

"Hey, Philippe! Wake up!"

Just five more minutes…

"Hey! Get up!"

I said… five more minutes…

"Get! Up!"

Fine!

"Whoa!"

The moment I get up, Gold loses his balance from jumping on the bed and falls to the ground with a loud crash.

"That's what you get for jumping on the bed. You hit your head. Hard."

"You didn't have to do that…" Gold whines.

"Actually, I kind of did. You were asking me, weren't you?"

"I didn't mean it like that!"

"Well, now I'm up. What did you want?" Seriously, why'd you have to wake me up so early? I thought Gold, of all people, would be one who'd want to sleep in as late as possible.

"We have to get a move on if we want to get Joey's package delivered on time!" Oh… right… Joey… Forgot about him.

"It was supposed to be delivered yesterday… I'm going to be in so much trouble!" Oh, don't worry about it, Joey. Elm's probably much nicer than the rest of the professors.

"Exactly! Let's go!" Um… Gold…

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Like what?"

I point out the fact that he's standing in only his boxers, and he blushes.

"Ah… right…" He grabs a random outfit – really not random, considering he only has one outfit – and throws it on haphazardly.

"Right… let's go!" He runs out of the door

"Come on, Joey. Let's catch up with him before he gets himself hurt." Joey nods and chases after Gold with me.

"Mom! We're gonna go out for a bit, ok?" Gold shouts behind him as he runs out the front door.

"My, my, waking up at such an early hour… I never thought it'd be possible!" Gold's mom comments.

"Neither did we. Thanks for letting us stay the night!" I shout over my shoulders.

"No problem! Just make sure Gold stays safe!" Not sure if I can do that, but I'll try!

We catch up with Gold a little ways away from his house.

"So, where are we going?" …I never thought it possible. Someone even more reckless than Red.

"You bolted out the door without any idea of where we're going? Smart move, Gold." He glares at me.

"Hey! It's not my fault you two are so slow!" That makes no sense whatsoever.

"Anyways…" Joey interrupts.

"I'm supposed to be bringing this package to Professor Elm… do you know where he lives?"

"Sure! He's on the other side of town!" Great… more running…

"Thanks! Professor Oak had asked me to deliver this for him. I wonder what's in the bag…" Gold stands there with a dumbfounded look.

"Professor… Oak?"

"So? What about him? I've met him multiple times before and he's nothing special." Hehe… yeah. Nothing special. He's the one who almost killed Red and I for breaking into his lab!

"You know Professor Oak?!" Gold exclaims, completely ignoring me.

"Yeah! After I was done delivering the package, I was gonna go back to meet him! You wanna come?" Gold smirks at the end. Oh, perverted, perverted Gold. Naïve, innocent Joey.

I could never ship those two together.

"Sure! You coming too, Philippe?"

"Obviously. I have some things that I need to discuss with the Professor." I didn't have a chance to stop by his lab before I left. How convenient that he'd be here the moment I arrived.

"So… Professor Elm's is this way!" We start marching all the way to the center of Newbark Town. I never knew it was this big… Although, that's with all places, I guess. The docks just so happened to be on the very outskirts of the town, so I didn't really get to see much before running into Joey and Gold.

"Hey, it's Gold!"

"Heya!"

"Do you know them?" A random person walking up to an eleven year old boy… doesn't sound suspicious at all.

"Of course I do! I know everyone here, and everyone knows me!" Don't need to be such a show-off…

"So, who are your two friends?" The woman asks.

"This is Joey and this is Philippe! I'm bringing them to Professor Elm's lab!"

"Oh, how cute! You're all going with your Pokémon, aren't you?" Well, obviously. We've been walking with our Pokémon walking besides us, so of course we're bringing our Pokémon!

"Gold, I think it'd be best if we continued without any more interruptions." I nudge him while he's speaking with the woman.

"Awww… why?"

"Because Joey's late as it is. We don't want him getting into any trouble now, do we?"

"Right! Sorry, ma'am, but I'll have to talk to you later!"

"That's alright, Gold. Hurry along now!"

We continue walking through the center of Newbark Town with several more greetings, but no lengthy conversations. At least we have that.

We eventually come across a bridge with a huge crowd on it. I wonder how the bridge is still standing…

"Oh! I wonder what's happening over there!" Joey runs up to the crowd, us following closely behind.

"Looks like it's some sort of contest." Gold comments.

"Come one, come all! It's the Pokémon Capture Game! If you capture these Pokémon that I let loose within one minute, you get a fabulous prize! When you run out of time, this Hoothoot will let you know!" The announcer shouts.

"Sounds like fun! Hoothoot's known for its incredible internal-clock! It's said that it's super accurate!"

"Nah, he's just using his Hoothoot for his scam." Joey's mouth opens wide.

"What?!"

"Yeah. No one's won yet, see?"

"That could just be because it's an incredibly hard game. Ever think of that?" I state logically.

"Just watch."

And watch we do. We stand there for around ten minutes, watching ten rounds go by with each round ending the same: in failure. Each person who stands up to try the game fails, with only a few Pokémon remaining to be caught.

"See? It could just be incredibly hard."

"I'm gonna prove it to you that it's a scam and not just 'hard!'" Hm… thought Gold would've made a joke there. Oh well.

"Joey, take these." Gold hands his bag to Joey.

"Hey, mister! I wanna try!"

"Sure thing, kid. It'll be 100 poké."

"Alright!" Gold digs through his pockets and takes out the money, handing it to the guy.

"I wonder if I can do it… I'm not very good…" Oh, what a complete lie, Gold! Although, I think I might like him better if his attitude was like this more often… Nah. I like his perverted personality. It's like my own!

I'm betting that his Aipom's gonna be of some use, since he brought it up with him.

"Alright… Three! Two! One! Start!"

Gold begins dashing around with the pokéballs given to him, launching them this way and that at the Wooper that were released. One… two… three… ten… soon Gold has almost all of them caught. I can see the announcer put on a grin and look towards his Hoothoot. Hm… maybe Gold was right?

…

Yep.

The Hoothoot goes and attacks its owner by pecking his head repeatedly. Gold, did you have something to do with this?

"Well, looks like Hoothoot's announcing that time's run out; that is, time's run out for your scam!" The crowd that gathered to watch Gold play now gasps in shock. Really, it's not that shocking. I knew something had to be up; either the game was impossible and the guy was scamming people of their money, or he was playing unfairly and scamming people of their money. Either way, people were being scammed and money was being earned.

"I can see why he's so popular…" Joey mumbles to himself.

"Yeah. I wonder if he's always like this."

"Probably is."

We wait for Gold to get back to us to continue marching to Elm's lab.

"That was amazing! What did you do?" Joey praises when Gold reaches us.

"I had Aipom use Swagger on his Hoothoot. It's a move that-"

"Raises the opponent's attack while confusing them as well." I finished.

"Hey, I could've finished on my own, thank you very much!"

"I thought you could use a little help." Gold's taken aback by my joke this time.

"Joey… Philippe… have you seen my backpack?!" Or not. Might've been that he was looking shocked out. Or both.

"It's your backpack, Gold. It's your responsibility."

"I asked you to look after it while I went up!"

"No you didn't."

"Yes I did!"

"No you didn't."

"Yes I did!"

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't!"

"Exactly." Reverse psychology always wins.

"This isn't time for jokes!"

"G-Gold…" Joey starts.

"Yeah?"

"Earlier, you put all of your family's pokéballs in your bag, right?" Gold nods.

"Maybe someone mistook your bag for mine and stole it! My bag had important research data for Professor Elm, so it wouldn't be weird to think that someone was trying to steal it!"

"The only people I can think of who'd want to steal it would be Team Rocket or the Elite Four, but as you know, both organizations were defeated… So, who could it be this time?"

"They were… stolen? Every single… one of them?" Ah, the feeling of having your Pokémon stolen from you. I once felt that when Red and my Pokémon got mixed up with Green's. Well, not exactly… My Pokémon weren't "stolen…" they were just misplaced. Gold's… we have no idea where they are.

"Don't worry, Gold. We'll help you find them." He turns to me.

"You will?"

"Of course we will!" I pull Joey next to me.

"So, once they've realized that they have the wrong bag, where do you suppose they'll go?"

"To Professor Elm's?"

"Exactly! So, lead the way!" And Gold does just that, although with more determination now.

We walk, and walk, and walk, and walk, until we finally make it to the other side of Newbark Town. Wow… if Newbark Town's this large, I'm absolutely horrified of Goldenrod City. Speaking of Goldenrod… Whitney… Oh no…

I am not going anywhere near that psychopath and her Miltank.

EVER.

"Hm… the door's locked." I hear Gold exclaim.

"How about we try the window?" Joey, that's the worst idea you've had since I've met you.

"I hope you know that that'd be considered 'breaking and entering' even more so than Red and my entering of Oak's lab. Oh well. It'll make for another great story when I get back to Kanto." Whenever that'll be.

Joey decides to stay behind with his package, probably not trusting anyone other than himself to keep an eye on it. Well, it _was _he who got Gold's bag stolen… by not paying attention to it.

We climb over the little fence surrounding the perimeter of Elm's lab – I've actually gotten much more agile since the beginning of my journey – and begin to walk towards the window…

…Only to see someone trying to exit through said window.

Red hair? Check.

Gotta be Silver.

I mean, who else has Red hair?

Besides that one woman from Team Rocket… I forget what her name is. Only one I can remember at the moment is Petrel. Maybe's she's related to Silver in some way?

"Philippe? Aren't you coming in?" Gold snaps me out of it. It appears that he hasn't seen Silver yet.

"Oh, right. Sorry." I continue in through the window with him.

"Who are you?! So you're the ones who took Totodile?!" Oh geez… Being accused of being a thief by _two _renowned Pokémon Research Professors? It's _got _to be a record. I wonder if Birch will accuse me of stealing one of his Pokémon later?

"You've got it all wrong!" Gold shouts to him.

"I'd suggest you look behind you as well." I say. Elm looks behind, only to be blasted with an Icy Wind by Silver's Sneasal. Elm's knocked off his feet and gives a loud scream. A couple seconds later Sneasal's half way to the window, following in pursuit of its trainer.

"I heard Professor Elm's scream! What's going on?" Joey begins running towards us, only to slip on the ice covering the floor due to the Icy Wind.

"You!" Gold shouts at Silver after watching where Sneasal scampered off to.

"Aipom, Scratch!" He's just as bad as Red with Razor Leaf.

Aipom begins scratching at Sneasal's face while Sneasal pulls up a Protect. Gold returns his Aipom, pulls out his cue stick from nowhere once again, and shoots Aipom's pokéball around back of the Sneasal.

"If not from the front… from the back!" I always thought Protect would create a sphere surrounding the Pokémon, not just a shield directly in front of it.

"Now give me back my backpack!" I don't think Silver has your backpack, Gold. I mean, where'd he be able to hide it while still being able to have a quick getaway?

"Backpack? I don't know anything about that." Silver's voice… It must've sent chills down Gold's spine by the look on his face.

"You know, I'm really sorry. I truly am. Gold here's just worried about his Pokémon. You see, his backpack was stolen a little while ago, and inside was his family's pokéballs. He's just worried about them."

"Hey! So you're not just satisfied with stealing my backpack, but you had to go and steal one of the laboratory's Pokémon as well?!" Gold, did you seriously just ignore every word I just said? I'm trying to calm him down!

Gold walks over to the pedestal containing the two remaining pokéballs and picks up Cyndaquil's. Dammit… I can't take Chikorita's; what Pokémon would that leave for Crystal to get later? And besides… then I'd truly be a thief.

He presses the button and lets the Pokémon out.

"Hm… I don't know what to call you… I don't even know what your nickname is!"

"It's a Cyndaquil, Gold. The one that the redhead over there took is a Totodile, and the remaining one is a Chikorita."

"Philippe, I thought you said you've never been to Johto before! How do you know their names?"

"Gold, I've been researching Pokémon and studying Pokémon ever since I first met Red and Professor Oak. I know more than you think."

"…Philippe?" Oh, has Blue told you about me, Silver?

"Yes, Silver?" That gives him a shock.

"H-how do you know my name?!"

"Blue's mentioned you once or twice."

"Philippe, you know this thief?!" Gold, you really don't know how to communicate with people very well, do you?

"Gold, don't jump to conclusions. Yes, we walked in on Silver stealing Elm's Totodile, but he might have a good reason for it!" A good reason for stealing… yeah, that makes sense.

"…Even if I did, why would I tell you?"

"Harsh, Silver. Anyways… it's because I'm Blue's friend! And because she kind of owes me… and since you're her friend, you can repay me for her!" My logic makes all the sense in the world, no matter what anyone says!

"…How does that make any sense?" Because it does. Deal with it.

"Just forget it. Now, how about you tell us why you took Totodile?" I can't say I remember, because I honestly don't.

"…I'll be leaving now." Silver completely ignores me and jumps out of the window.

"I told you he's a thief! After him!" Gold begins running after Silver once more, Joey and Elm remaining on the floor.

"Gold, Gold, Gold… wait for me!" I follow behind him, slowly catching up.

"Give me back my backpack!"

"Gold, he doesn't have your backpack! I'm only chasing him because I want to know why he took Totodile… And _you're _gonna have some explaining to do as to why you took Cyndaquil when we get back!" I guess Gold hasn't really thought this through.

"To get back Totodile and my backpack!" Still hung up on the backpack thing, aren't we?

Silver runs into the woods and begins swinging from tree to tree, just like a monkey, and just like Aipom.

"I don't know what attacks you know, but due to the fire on your back, I assume that it's fire. So, use you fire to stop him!" Gold, what are you…

"_Gold, stop that this instant!" _I yell, but it's too late. Cyndaquil's already started blowing a flamethrower and has already started a forest fire!

"Uh…" Is all the idiot can manage to get out. I send out Dragonair.

"Dragonair, put out the fire with Rain Dance!" Dragonair begins twirling around in circles, spinning faster and faster until clouds form above our heads. The clouds begin pouring rain harder than I've ever seen from a Rain Dance before, and before long the fire's put out. Gold continues chasing after Silver after the flames are gone and he can see him once again.

"Sneasal, use-"

"Too slow!"

Gold, did you seriously use another fire attack after causing that forest fire? Gold's had Cyndaquil create a ring of fire around itself, Gold, and Silver.

"Hey! What are you playing around with in the shadows? Don't you pull a trick on me!" If only Gold realized how what he said could be taken…

"Now, give me back my backpack, and give Cyndaquil back his friend!" Gold continues to shout. A little while into his shouting, I hear a crack of thunder. Meh. Must be from the aftereffects of the Rain Dance.

BOOM!

…Or not.

I look back towards the ring of fire to see Gold lying on the ground, unconscious.

"Sorry for getting in the middle of your fight."

"…Who are you people?!" Silver shouts.

"You mean us? Well, we'll gladly tell you! We're 'Team Rocket,' a secret organization of evil that has plans on reviving soon."

"Yeah, because your last revival went so well." I just couldn't help myself.

The member looks towards me and gains a shocked expression.

"Y-you!"

"Yes, me. And I'll have you know that I've kicked your bosses asses not only once, but twice! And I've happened to train with the people who've kicked their boss's ass as well. So, I hope you know where I'm going with this."

"Ha! You honestly think you can take on all three of us?" Only three? I took on three back on the S.S. Anne. The two others come out from hiding and send out their own Pokémon.

I decide to use use only Dragonair for this battle.

"Alright then, which one of you first?"

"Boss, this isn't good! He has a Dragonair" You're damn right it isn't good… for you! I have no idea what's come over me… I guess it's because I finally feel like I'm not useless.

"Don't worry about it!" The so called "boss" sends out a fourth Pokémon in addition to the Elekid, Magby, and Azurill. Seriously, why do these Team Rocket members have baby Pokémon? Where's Togepi and Pichu while you're at it? Oh yeah… Gold breeds Pichu. Still, what about Togepi?

Their fourth Pokémon happens to be an Exeggcute. Just their luck. Another pre-evolved Pokémon.

"Totodile, Water Gun!" Silver commands Totodile to use Water Gun on the Magby, but his Pokémon completely ignores him. That's what you get for not bonding with your Pokémon!

"You're going to use a Pokémon you just got? If it's not attached to you it won't listen to a single command you give!" Have you forgotten about me? Oh well… looks like the element of surprise is on my side. For now, at least.

"Dragonair, Rain Dance!" Dragonair begins to twist around in circles once more, this time the resulting clouds not pouring as much rain as before, but still enough to douse the entire battlefield, giving both herself and Totodile an advantage. Their Elekid and Azurill are also given an advantage, but their Magby's hindered by the rain and is immediately returned.

"Elekid, Thunder!" I think you forgot that Dragonair's a Dragon type, not a Water type. Although, I myself make that mistake quite often…

"Dragon Rush!" Dragonair speeds through the air and bashes its head into Elekid, interrupting the Thunder it was preparing.

…

Dragonair's now being held to the ground by Exeggcute. Dammit, how could I have forgotten about the others?

"Relax, Dragonair!" Dragonair does just that; it relaxes its body and slips out of the knots and vines that were binding it to the ground.

"Dragon Rage!" Dragonair sends out a blue flame towards the Exeggcute, burning it.

"Behind you!" Silver shouts. I turn around to see the Elekid preparing yet another Thunder.

"Dragonair, turn around!" Dragonair turns around, still breathing the Dragon Rage, and I have to jump back to avoid being hit by it myself. Dragonair finishes the turn and breaths the Dragon Rage onto Elekid, but not before it's finished and the Thunder rains down on Dragonair.

"Ha!"

"No, ha to you! Dragonair's a Dragon type, therefore, Electric attacks aren't very effective against her." I keep forgetting about overpowered Dragon types are back in the first and second Generations.

"Dammit!"

"Hyper Beam!" Dragonair readies a Hyper Beam while being leech seeded by the Exeggcute. Dragonair finishes the Hyper Beam, blasts Elekid into unconsciousness, then turns around to face the Exeggcute. I turn around myself to see how Silver's doing with the other two. The Rain Dance has long since put out the ring of flames, Gold's still unconscious, and Silver's doing pretty well against the Azurill, despite him only receiving Totodile not too long ago.

Dragonair recovers from the Hyper Beam while continuing to be seeded.

"Dragonair, use Flamethower on yourself!" Sounds crazy, I know, but the good thing is that Fire attacks also aren't very effective against Dragons, and it'll burn off the seeds, thus cutting Exeggcute off from its supply of HP regeneration.

It also sounds weird that Dragonair can even use Flamethrower. Oh well. I'm not complaining.

"Now finish it with another Hyper Beam!" Hyper Beam everything!

The Hyper Beam blasts Exeggcute, just like it did the Elekid, and both Pokémon are now returned to their pokéballs. I watch Silver finish up his match with a Bite from Totodile, and they return Azurill as well.

"Dammit! Beaten by kids!"

"Yeah, well, this 'kid' has also beaten your bosses!" I remind them.

"If I remember correctly, that was Red, not you."

"I still kicked a bunch of you guys' asses back on the S.S. Anne!"

"And do think… I only used one of my four Pokémon. I wonder what would've happened if I had used all of them?" This got them scared and running away. Oh well. I know this won't be the last I see of them.

"You… you're nothing like Blue said."

"Of course I'm not. I'm away from them, so I have to fend for myself now, don't I?"

"…She always described you as being 'such an uke,' whatever that means." Ok. I'm going to kill her the next time I see her along with Yellow for that dress incident, and now for this uke incident.

"Don't worry about it." I say. I hear a snicker from the background.

"So, you're the uke of the relationship?" Looks like Gold's woken up.

"Ah… I now know how Ash feels every time he visits a new region…" I say to myself, completely ignoring Gold's comment. Everyone makes fun of Ash and Pikachu for being defeated by the starters of the region, even though they're only level 5. I should've been able to have one shot all of their Pokémon, especially with them being the baby evolutions, but it took me a full battle to defeat them! I'm not sure if Pokémon really are reset to level 5, or 1, when a trainer enters a new region or what… I guess I'll have to ask Celebi.

"So you're the ones who set fire to the yard!" A new voice speaks. We all turn around to see… a man in a police outfit. Oh Arceus…

"Actually, that was him." I point towards Gold. So? I don't want to be arrested for something I didn't do!

"Hey! Thanks for ratting me out!" He says sarcastically.

"No problem!" Hey, I can be a smartass too.

"Anyways, we're going to hold an interrogation. So please, come with us. If you resist, we'll arrest you." Hm… he seems oddly familiar… That tuft of hair…

Oh my god.

That's no police officer!

It's…

"Falkner!"

"Hm? You saw through my disguise? Odd… I thought I had put it together well enough. Oh well. It doesn't matter. You two are still coming with me." Fine…

It hadn't occurred to me that Silver had disappeared while I was arguing with Gold. Dammit! Although, that might not be such a bad thing… if he had caught Silver then and there, what would Gold be doing after? He'd have no reason to chase Silver, so that _really _would've messed up the plot.

"So, what were you two doing all the way out in the middle of nowhere?" Not really the middle of nowhere… just a bit out of the way.

"We were going to visit Professor Elm to tell him that the delivery Joey had to deliver to him was stolen, but instead we found a thief stealing one of his Pokémon! He stole a… Umm… Philippe?"

"Totodile."

"Thanks. He stole a Totodile and was trying to escape, but just as we were going to enter through the window-"

"You were entering through the window?" Nice going, Gold.

"Ehehe… Yeah… the door was locked, the window wasn't. It was Elm's fault!" That would've been my excuse as to why we had entered Oak's lab without permission, so I can't really make fun of him for that.

"Anyways…" I try to steer the explanation back on topic.

"Anyways… we found the guy trying to escape using the window, and when he saw us he ran back inside. We got inside ourselves and he had his… Philippe?"

"Sneasal."

"And he had his Sneasal use an Icy Wind to completely cover the floor with ice!"

"Your story checks out there… Professor Elm was hospitalized earlier today. He had injured his hip when a Pokémon trainer had iced over his floors." I never knew young people could break their hips. Well, depends on how young Elm really is…

"What?!" Joey exclaims.

"Gold, continue."

"Yeah. After that we chased him out into the woods, were caught by some goons and… I don't really remember much after that."

"He was knocked out by a Thunder from a member of Team Rocket." I fill in.

"Team Rocket?!" This time it's Gold's turn to exclaim.

"Yeah. They reformed once after Red and the rest of us took them down, so it doesn't surprise me that they'd try to reform again. Surge mentioned something about trying to regroup and becoming more powerful than ever…" Now Falkner studies me. His eyes… they creep me out when they're looking me over. Although, that's how I feel towards most people checking me out. Most. Red's fine.

He quickly averts his gaze, trying to avoid being caught by me. Too late.

"I woke up just after they had defeated the goons. Not too long after you showed up." And that's that.

"So that means that Philippe's the only one who's seen the culprit."

"Nope. I'm terrible at recounting faces. Well, not so much recounting as describing… better let Gold do it. He woke up just before the guy ran off, so he should be able to tell you just as well as I could. Maybe even better." Falkner nods and turns towards Gold who rattles off detail after detail. Completely inaccurate details, but that's to be expected. Falkner begins sketching.

Once Falkner's finished sketching Gold's details, he shows him the paper to make sure he's got everything correct. It takes more self-control than I have not to burst out laughing right here and now. I mean, seriously! It's even funnier than how they showed it in the manga! Big lips, flat face, fat cheeks… I can't even describe the eyes!

"Thank you very much for helping us, Gold. If you want, you could call home from here and stay the night instead of walking."

"Uh… no thanks! There's actually somewhere we have to be!" Gold runs out the door, Joey and I following in pursuit.

"Gold, we are marching back to your house right now to let your mother know where we're going."

"But we can't stop or else he'll get away!"

"Gold, I don't care. I left with Red, thinking he had told his mom we were going, and he hadn't. Now, she's not as strict as your mom is, so she didn't really mind. But, with your mom being how she is… I'm not sure how she'd react to finding out you're on a journey without even bothering to call."

"You don't know my mom! She wouldn't mind that much…" Yeah. "That much."

"Doesn't matter. Even if you call her using my PokéDex, that's better than nothing." I toss him the 'Dex. He stares at it.

"What am I supposed to do with this thing?"

"You honestly don't know how to call someone?"

"I do, but not with whatever this is!"

Joey gasps.

"It's a PokéDex! It's an actual PokéDex! Where did you get it?!" He shouts.

"Actually, it's Red's, but he let me have it, considering I'm the one who did most of the filling of it during our journey. The main reason I went along with you was to get to Professor Oak and ask him if he could give Red another one." Another blatant lie.

"So that's the reason?" Gold questions.

"And because I was curious about Silver."

"That's his name?" Haven't I said it before?

"Yeah. He's a friend of one of my friends back in Kanto. Who I really question why I became friends with her in the first place…"

"Yeah! She called you an uke! So, does that make Red the seme?" Gold, I am seriously tempted to kill you right now.

"We're not in a relationship, so no, he's not. And no, I'm not either."

"You're not in a relationship? So, does that mean he's up for grabs?" This time I smack him right across the face.

"You do not touch Red unless I give you permission to. And why would I do that? So stay. Away. From. Him." I glare into his eyes and…

He begins laughing.

"I knew you had something for him! Doesn't surprise me. He _is _pretty hot."

* * *

Author's Note:

Well... It's been longer than I had expected this chapter to take, but I have a valid reason! I've decided to try to write something else other than this fic, and it's actually going pretty well. I'll wait until I'm well into it before even thinking about publishing it, just in case I get bored of it a couple chapters in and quit. It won't take all my attention away from Pokemon, so don't worry about that. Anyways, asking for the normal. Read, review, etc.


	52. Updates

"Well, he _is_"

"I don't care if you're a Legendary Pokémon, a Human, or whatever. If you go anywhere near Red, I _will _kill you."

"Seriously. You honestly think I'd go after Red after seeing how you feel? I know everything that went on in Kanto; I had to do _something _with my time, didn't I? I couldn't just sit around all day!"

"Well, whether you did or didn't, you're eventually going to have to be part of this story yourself, aren't you? All Legendaries are. Speaking of which… why do you let yourselves be captured? I know I've asked Mew this before, but she didn't really give me an answer I could work with…"

"It's because that's how it's supposed to go."

"Can't you change how it's supposed to go? I mean, you're basically the Gods and Goddesses of this world, aren't you? Can't you change how everything goes?"

"Not exactly… Mew's said this before: we can influence the actions that our creations make, but we can't 'force' people to do things they don't want to do. That's why it's possible for either side to win."

"Either… side?"

"Dammit. Mew hasn't told you about that yet, has she?"

"She hasn't told me anything about the Legendaries and Guardians for a while. I've kind of been busy stopping Lance and saving Red, you know." Mew hasn't really had much time to talk to me outside of anything that had to do with Red or Yellow or Blue or Green or the people we were fighting. Celebi hasn't really spoken to me much either. I've only spoken to it… twice? since I got to Johto.

"Well, let's see here… what did Mew last tell you?" It honestly expects me to remember? It's been months since the last time Mew's said anything! Or, at least, it feels like it's been that long…

"I think it had something to do with pokéballs…"

"Ah! Yeah. Pokéballs were created to 'balance' out the power regular Pokémon had over the humans. Pokémon can break out of the balls if they really don't want to be captured, so that's how it balances out in their favor. If the human's much stronger and powerful than the Pokémon, however, they'd be able to capture them even if the Pokémon were at full strength. You see, it's a little different than how you remember. Pokéballs and the humans throwing them share a little-known 'connection.' Once the pokéball leaves your hand, it senses you as a person, your personality, and why you want to capture the Pokémon you are trying to capture. If your will, your strength, and your determination are strong enough, then you are able to capture the Pokémon even if it's at full health." No wonder why Ash's able to catch so many Pokémon! Although, the last time I heard of him he had only caught fifty or so Pokémon out of the… six-hundred-something?

"It's the only way that we'd allow for the pokéballs to come into existence. If it didn't have that little feature, it'd be completely unfair and be a complete advantage to the Guardians!"

"I see what you mean… So, that still doesn't explain the one Mew gave to me many months ago. She said that it'd help me. What does it do, exactly?"

"Have you tried opening it?"

"No. Mew told me not to bother; she said that she herself and all the rest of the Legendaries have tried opening it with no success. Have you?"

"Nope! That is, I've had no luck in opening it. That's a perfect example of your previous question, by the way! We're only able to influence, not force. Legendaries and Guardians can be seen as Gods and Goddesses, yes, but Philippe… One thing you should remember is that Gods and Goddesses are not all-powerful and they're certainly not perfect. They're extremely powerful and can create even the fabric of life, but once they've created said fabric, they can't just change it all at once. That's where evolution comes in!"

"Speaking of life… well, speaking of a lot of things… Do Gods ever die?"

"Not naturally, no. Let's say a God locked himself in an area that is untouched by any external forces, besides the forces of nature. Then no, they would never die. A God can live forever if he is alone. However, like on Earth, Gods can become jealous of one another and do nasty things. A God can kill another God, even humans can kill Gods. That's why even we have to be careful."

"What about Arceus?"

"Yes, even Arceus can be killed if one so chooses to attempt to and succeeds. Although, killing Arceus would be near impossible to do, considering he's able to see anything and everything."

"But he's still not able to force his creations to do what he wants to, correct?"

"Correct."

"How about the Guardians?"

"What about them?"

"You said that the Legendaries cannot force their creations to do what they want, and that they can only influence what they do. What about the Guardians? If the Guardians created the humans, would they be able to force humans to do what they wanted them to do?"

"Nope! And even if they could, you wouldn't have to worry. You came from Earth, therefore, your code is different, so they wouldn't be able to force you to do anything. They wouldn't be able to force Pokémon or the Legendaries to do anything, either. And this brings us back to our topic of the 'two sides.' The two sides, as you've probably guessed, are the Legendaries and Guardians. Mew's explained to you that the Legendaries wanted a more natural way of creating things while the Guardians wanted a more mechanical way of creating things, right?" I nod my head.

"Alright. That eventually escalated so much as to having both sides begin a war. A war that's still raging today, even. Although, we don't involve mortals in our fights anymore. At least for now… We hope that it won't ever come to that."

"So, right now, Mew's fighting the Guardians?"

"Not exactly… She's working on devising a plan for fighting them, but she's not physically fighting right now. We're currently at 'peace,' one could say."

"What's my part in this entire war, then?" I know that I was brought here for a reason, and just saving Red couldn't be it. I'm glad that I have the chance to be able to save him, but it's just my way of thinking. There always has to be an ulterior motive to everything; nothing can be as simple as it seems on the outside.

"You're smart, you know that? Yes, you do play a part in this. Although… don't we all play a part in the world? Since we all live in this world, and since this is a war between creators of this world, won't we all play a part in it eventually? Just continue doing what you're doing and you'll fulfill your role just fine." I hate ambiguity.

"And what if I don't want to play my role? What if I want to help the Guardians instead? Ever think of that?" Not that I'm really thinking of joining their side… I just hate it when people assume things about me! Even if they're correct…

"You could do that at any time you please. You'd just need to figure out who they are in the real world and hope they'd let you join them after being around us for such a long time! They're not really forgiving towards their enemies…"

"And how do I know that for sure? How do I know that you're not lying to me? How do I know that everything Mew said wasn't a lie?"

"Because she's the one that saved you. I know that that's not a good reason to completely trust someone, but I know deep down that you know deep down that she's the one who you should trust no matter what. Even if you don't trust any of us, any of the other Legendaries, at least trust Mew. She's the one who showed you the ropes here, she's the one who saved you, she's the one who brought you here, dammit! Even if Red had gone to Earth to bring you with him, you never would've been able to make it past the barrier between the worlds without the help of a deity." I've trusted in Mew all along, but now I know that I've been right in doing so.

"Yeah… she's never harmed me, she's never lied to me, at least, I think she hasn't… although, she hasn't done anything to me that's led me to believe that she's lied to me. Also, it's not 'Even if you don't trust any of us, at least trust Mew.' I should be able to trust my friends as well, right. In fact, I should be able to trust them more then Gods! Gods seem to always have ulterior motives, whether it be in books or shows or anywhere! Gods seem to always be using their creations to better themselves, however odd that may seem, considering they're Gods…"

"Hehe, yeah. We seem to always try to better ourselves, whether we be Guardian or Legendary. We always think that the other is in the wrong and that we're in the right. I guess that's why we're enlisting the help of some of our creations. To let them decide which side they think is right. Don't worry; you'll eventually find out what and who the Guardians are and what they're trying to achieve. For now, just continue living your life one day at a time, and don't worry about that! It's not gonna happen for several years at the least, possibly even a decade or more! You have plenty of time to save the world several more times, date Red, have sex…"

"W-what?!"

"Bye!"

"Get back here you-"

* * *

I wake up to Gold starting me straight in the face.

"What do _you _want."

"Geez, haven't I said sorry enough? I never thought you'd be that defensive…"

"I've almost lost him multiple times. I don't want anyone trying to take him away again, be it friend or foe."

"You know, you're almost as scary as Yuno." …What?

"How exactly do you know who that is?"

"She's a manga character, duh! You mean you haven't read it?"

"No, I have. It's just…" Dammit, Celebi told me not to tell anyone about Earth. Mew did as well…

I should've guessed that this world would have manga as well. And anime. Heh… The Pokémon anime existing in the Pokémon manga world. Wait… that actually… might be true… It'd be incredibly weird for all the Gym leaders though. AND LANCE. OH GOD…

Yeah. They probably don't have it here.

Red did have an NES in his room, however… Never mentioned it to him, though. Just saw it as a side glance. Are there handhelds here, too? If so, what about the games? Red playing Pokémon Red. Red playing with himself…

Stop that train of thought right there.

Right. Back on topic. Gold. Yuno.

"I AM NOT LIKE YUNO."

"That just proves my earlier statement even more. Now, that'd make Red Yuki, right? And in the end, you remember what Yuno and Yuki do, correct?"

Yes. I do. And I know what I'm about to do to you, Gold.

SLAP!

"Owwwww! You didn't have to go and slap me!" That woke Joey in a heartbeat.

"W-what?! What's going on?! Is everyone okay?!"

"Yep! We're just fine, Joey!"

"I'm not…" Shut up, Gold.

"So, back onto what we were discussing yesterday. You wanted to go after Silver, Gold? Well, lucky for you, Blue gave me some info on him. Unfortunately, I have no idea where he'd be… I only have his personality, his attitude, his battling styles, and his sexuality…" That caught Gold's attention.

"H-his… what?"

"You're too perverted for your own good, Gold."

"Hey! What about you? You were the one who brought that up!"

"Because I knew you'd be interested. Aren't you?"

"A little bit…"

"Well, that's good. But I'm not going to tell you!"

"Dammit! Why not? You can't just tease a person like that!"

"Of course I can!"

"And why is that?"

"Because I am me and me is I!"

"…What?"

"Forget it."

"Uh… Philippe? Gold? Can we please get back on topic?" Joey, you have to stop being in the background. Speak up once in a while! Although, that's what he just did… just, forget it.

"Fine. So, we're trying to track down Silver to get your bag back, which, by the way, _he doesn't have."_

"How do you know that, Philippe? He very well could have my bag!"

"Maybe not your bag, but he sure does have your sack in his grips…" This causes Gold to turn a bright red. Ah, Red…

"Philippe! Where did your shyness from the League go?!"

"It stayed behind in Kanto with Red. You know, when I'm not around someone I like, I'm a much different person… Or when I'm with a person I like who likes me back. But that's never happened, so I can't be sure… I'm pretty sure that'd be the case, though."

Joey's just dying in the background.

"Topic… please?" That's going to be close to impossible with us in this state, Joey.

"We don't even know Silver's motives. All he did was steal Totodile and run off."

"With my bag!" Not helping.

"You know guys, a lot's happening at once… It's overwhelming…"

"What do you mean, Joey?"

"I mean, first I was sent to deliver this bag to Professor Oak, then I run into you and get accused of ruining your antenna, Gold, then you stop that con artist, then your bag is stolen, then we run into Silver stealing Professor Elm's Totodile, then Professor Elm is injured, then you two chase Silver out and Gold's injured while you and Silver fight Team Rocket members that show up and it's all just…!"

"I know what you mean, Joey. That's exactly the same way I felt when I first started traveling with Red. At least you haven't had any life-threatening encounters. I've had… however many I've had too many for one life time. And I'm not quite sure I'm done having them yet… Considering we just ran into Team Rocket, they're probably gonna want revenge. If you don't want to be placed in any danger, I'd suggest you stop traveling with us after you deliver Oak's package."

"My package? You must be Joey, then." Speak of the devil.

"P-p…P-p…P-prof…"

"Joey, it's just Professor Oak." I turn around.

"Hi! It's been quite a while, hasn't it? Wasn't the last time I was in Pallet Town… a month after Red had left? How long ago was that again…"

"Too long, Philippe. Too long. Say, what are you doing in Johto? Continuing your training?"

"Yeah, something along those lines. I originally came here to train without the others. I need to be able to defend myself without depending on those guys to save me everytime I get in trouble… If it hadn't been for all of them, I'd be long dead."

"How ironic that you ran into Joey while here! So, you have the package for me, right?"

"O-of course!" Joey picks up the bag, begins running over to Professor Oak, and trips.

"Joey…" I pick up the bag and hand it to the Professor.

"Thank you."

"So, what brings _you _out here, Professor?"

"I was just speaking to the police about the boy you ran into at Professor Elm's lab. I have a question to ask of you." Now I'm curious.

"Did the boy have a PokéDex?"

"Yep! That's what he was going for right before you were knocked out, Gold. Must've been wanting to see what Pokémon Gold had or something."

"So, the boy who stole Elm's Totodile is the same boy who stole my PokéDex… And Team Rocket's here?"

"Yep! They said something about wanting to reform. Again. But I'll just kick their butts! Again!"

"You haven't kicked their 'butts' once, Philippe. Red's the one who did that." Way to kill my pride, Gold.

"Doesn't matter! I took on two of them at once back there! Silver had trouble taking on one. Although, not really his fault, considering he just got the Totodile half an hour earlier…"

And since Professor Oak's on the topic of PokéDexes…

"Say, Professor Oak. Have you given Red another PokéDex? I kind of took the one he had… Well, not took, exactly. He gave it to me, considering I _was _the one who filled up most of it. By the way, I completed it! All One-Hundred-Fifty-One!"

"Oh? You've completed the PokéDex?" He asks with surprise in his voice.

"Yep! The last few were difficult… but hanging around Red has its benefits! So, I have another question… Was the PokéDex the boy stole a new version? Because when I tried to record Gold's Aipom it said that there was no such data on it."

"Yes, the version that the boy stole was one that's able to record Johto Pokémon as well. And since you completed your PokéDex already, Philippe, I think it'd be a safe bet to say that you probably want an upgrade for yours, correct?" Exactly!

"I wanna try to record every Pokémon in the world! If that's possible…"

"Well, you've already recorded all of the Pokémon located in Kanto, so it's quite possible that you'll be able to record information on all Pokémon throughout the world as well. But, to do that, you'd have to record information on over several hundred different Pokémon! Are you sure you're up to the task?"

"Of course I am!"

"Alright then. Hand me your PokéDex for a second." I do as he asks and he takes out one of the newer versions, hooks it up to mine with a cable, and does a system upgrade.

"Here you go. The upgrade should allow you to record information on Pokémon native to this region." Great! Now all I have to do is find another hundred or so and I'll have completed the Kanto and Johto Pokédexes far sooner than Crystal would've!

"Excuse me, but what exactly do Pokédexes do?" Gold, you honestly don't know?

"Pokédexes are used to record information on other Pokémon. Once you've recorded the information, you can look it up at any time. It records info such as weight, height, type, behavior, habitat, etc. It also lets you check your own Pokémon's moves at any time, and even your opponent's Pokémon during battles! It also shows level and allows you to cancel evolution if you so choose."

"So it can help in battles? I want one!" Gold runs up to Oak and tries to swipe the PokéDex that he's holding, only to be denied.

"Hold it. Why do you think that I should give you a PokéDex? I only have three of them; what makes you special enough to be worthy of one?"

"Only three? But Philippe has one, Silver has one, and you have two! That's four!"

"Yes, but Philippe has one of the originals that I made several years ago. Him, along with Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow."

"Speaking of which… Professor Oak, could you possibly give Red another PokéDex if you haven't? We kind of got off topic with me completing the current one and you updating it. So… could you?"

"I've already taken care of that. Red's equipped with the newest model; the same one you have." That's good. Although, I wonder how much he's going to use it…

"Hey! What about me? I still want one!" Gold shouts.

"These PokéDexes were not invented for the sole intent of battling. They were invented for the reason that Philippe has his; for research, and research only. The only reason they would be used in battles is to record the battle styles of Pokémon in the wild and possibly the different battle styles between a wild Pokémon and a captured Pokémon." Wouldn't the captured Pokémon's style be its trainer's style?

"So? I've already decided that I'm going to chase after that guy and get my bag back, and if I were to fight him without a PokéDex wouldn't I be at a disadvantage? He'd be able to tell my every move and be able to counter them all!"

"Well, that's kind of your fault for choosing a fire type while he took Totodile…" Just like the games, too. Rival takes the Pokémon that beats yours. Although, this time Gold chose his second.

"So what? Professor Oak, that's the only reason I want a PokéDex. I promise you that I'll give it back once I'm done! I just want to borrow it for a bit!" Gold goes back to trying to grab the PokéDex from Professor Oak, to no avail yet again.

"This is not a toy! It is a very sophisticated piece of equipment! The people who I have given these to have all been responsible trainers, mature in their actions and decisions! They have all helped me immensely in my research. Just look at Philippe! He's completed the entire Kanto PokéDex, and he's only thirteen!" I don't remember telling him my age, but ok.

"I wouldn't say that he's 'mature in his actions…'" Gold smirks at me.

"It doesn't matter. Gold, you're not mature enough to own a PokéDex, and that's final. You never think about anyone else from what I've seen. You only think about yourself! You only want to catch this boy because he's stolen something from you; you don't want to catch him because he's a criminal!"

"You know what?! If you won't give it to me, then I'll show you that I deserve it!" Gold… You are such an effing idiot.

He has his Aipom start scratching Oak's Stantler that's been patiently waiting this entire time.

Yeah… he's seriously like Red in the sense of moves.

"Stantler, don't fight back!"

"Oh? That's smart, not fighting back… when you know you're going to lose!" I actually feel bad for what's about to happen…

"Aipom, Scratch some more!" Stantler endures the scratches until Oak loses it.

"You made me do this!" Stantler stares at Aipom and blasts him back into Gold, knocking both of them to the ground. Confuse Ray's actually powerful here, I guess.

"Gold, I-"

"Um, Professor Oak? I think you should leave this to me. I think I could get to him better than you could, no offense."

"I think you could as well. He hasn't listened to a word I said. I only hope that you'll be successful in your try. Well, it's been nice seeing you again, Philippe." Oak thanks Joey for delivering the package, waves goodbye, and leaves.

"What a bastard!" Gold shouts once Oak's out of earshot.

"Gold, I'm sorry to say this, but I have to agree with him."

"What?! I thought you'd be on my side! I thought you were my friend!" Uh… Gold must make friends incredibly quickly then. We've only known each other for two days.

"Gold… I'm sorry, but he's right. The way you acted towards the Professor proved it. You say that you want the PokéDex to be able to catch Silver, defeat him, and take back the 'bag that he stole,' right? That's not the reason the PokéDex was invented in the first place. It was invented to record information about Pokémon and make it easier for the Professor to be able to study them. The PokéDex is a research tool, not a battling tool. Yes, it helps in battling, but its main purpose is not for that. It's to be used to learn and discover more about Pokémon than was ever thought possible." Gold looks down in shame.

"I… I…"

"And I hope you know that if you wanted to use a PokéDex to be able to defeat Silver, you could've just asked me to borrow mine. I mean, it was originally Red's. All I did was fill it with information." Gold looks back up at me and stares.

"W-what?" He stutters.

"Like I said, you could've just asked me. What's the point of having two PokéDex owners traveling together? The information one records, the other will record." Gold completely ignores me and…

Goes straight for the PokéDex,

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" He shouts as he begins running.

"Gold, I never said yes yet! All I said was you could ask!" He continues ignoring me and running down the road.

"Gold! Get back here right now!"

* * *

Author's Note:

Late Night + Caffeine = No good for anyone.

Just tell me if I absolutely failed with this chapter, or if it came out slightly "OK." Because honestly, I have no idea what this is.


	53. Golden Fail

"Gold, you use it like this."

"Like this?"

"…No, that shut it off."

Gold's having an incredibly difficult time with learning how to use the PokéDex. I really think it would've been better if Oak had given him a new one to begin with, so he could learn how to use it from scratch. Although, since Oak's determined on not giving him one, I guess this will just have to do until I find a way to convince him to give him one.

"Then, like this?" Gold successfully turns it back on and scrolls down to Cyndaquil's page.

"That's better. Now, to view your Pokémon's level and attacks…" I continue showing him how to use it for the next couple of minutes, Joey waiting patiently in the background. I still don't know why he's following us; he's delivered the package to Professor Oak. He doesn't need to be around us any longer! And it's the truth when I said that if he stayed with us any longer than he had to, he'd just be putting himself in much more danger than he needed to be. Team Rocket's gonna go after me again, and knowing the others… Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow will probably come to Johto themselves if they hear of Team Rocket being here, which will cause Team Rocket members to flock to our location, putting him in even more danger.

"Alright! Wanna have a battle? With this thing, I'll never lose!" That's probably the worst mindset you can have right now, Gold. I mean, yes, with the PokéDex he'll be able to see what attacks other's Pokémon have, but it'd mean nothing if he doesn't know how to counter them. It's also worse if he hasn't had his Pokémon for that long…

Which is what I think as soon as he sends out Cyndaquil.

Even Cubone, my weakest Pokémon, will have an advantage against it, so I don't really know how I could go easy on him…

"I don't think this is a good idea…" I begin to warn him.

"Why not? You scared because you don't have your little PokéDex to help?" You know what? I'll just show him that having a PokéDex doesn't mean you're unstoppable. I send out Cubone and get ready to battle.

Gold looks down at the PokéDex and calls out an attack.

"Ember!" Cyndaquil takes in a deep breath and blows out a stream of fire towards Cubone, the flames barely scorching its skull.

"Bonemerang!" Cubone throws its bone, knocking Cyndaquil to the ground. The bone hits him again on its return trip, swinging by fast enough to reach him before he could get up from the first hit.

"Shake it off and Quick Attack!" Cyndaquil rushes over to Cubone, charging into it with its body, knocking the baby down.

"Get him off with Bone Club!" Cubone smashes its bone into Cyndaquil's head, knocking the mouse to the ground. Cyndaquil tries to get up, but falls back and is out.

"W-what? How could I lose with this thing?!" It's a level five, Gold. Of course you'd lose. Gold returns Cyndaquil and sends out Aipom. Looks like he's getting serious now. Looks like I better as well.

I return Cubone and send out Gengar. I know it's a bit of a cheap shot, fighting Normal with Ghost, but oh well. He'll have to learn eventually that not everyone will fight fairly.

"Sand-Attack!" Aipom throws sand towards Gengar, obscuring my, and Gengar's, visions. That attack… has to be… the most annoying attack ever created. Along with any and all other easily learned accuracy reducing moves. I have to finish this before he uses it any more…

"Psychic!" Gengar wags his fingers back and forth until Aipom's knocked back by an unseen force.

"Astonish!" Oh fu…

Aipom rushes towards Gengar and jabs at him, causing him to flinch. Aipom jabs at him again, causing him to flinch once more. A third jab, but this time Gengar withstands the urge to flinch and I command him to use…

"Hypnosis!" Gengar wags his fingers back and forth like he did earlier with the Psychic, only this time Aipom's eyes begin to droop.

"Aipom, snap out of it and use Astonish again!" Aipom jabs Gengar again, although this time with a lot less force. Aipom continues to become drowsier and drowsier until it falls asleep.

"Now, Dream Eater." Gengar slinks into the shadows and enters Aipom's shadow, the shadow growing smaller and smaller until it's half the size it was before.

Gold's Aipom makes a sound of pain, and slumps down even further.

"Aipom!" Gold returns Aipom to his pokéball and stares at me.

"But… how? I was checking the moves before using them, I was checking my Pokémon's stats and your Pokémon's stats… but… that wasn't enough!"

"Exactly, Gold. It's never enough to just have the tools to do what you want to do. You also need to know how to use said tools, and you also need to have skills yourself. It doesn't matter if you know what attacks my Pokémon has and what attacks your Pokémon has, you need to know how to use your Pokémon's attacks to counter mine's. Type advantage is also hard to avoid, but it's possible if you know your Pokémon's strengths and weaknesses. Evolutions are also hard to avoid… Since Gengar's an evolved Pokémon, he has much higher stats than your Aipom does." Gold slowly nods.

"Although, for Cubone and Cyndaquil, who are both first stage evolutions, take this information into consideration: Cyndaquil has much more Health than Cubone, more Special Attack, and much more Speed. Cubone has much more Defense than Cyndaquil does. Your Cyndaquil's Ember was a good start, considering that Cubone's Special Defense is lower than it's normal Defense, but since my Pokémon's a higher level than yours, that made up for the lack of stats. After that, you decided to try to catch Cubone off guard with a Quick Attack, right? Well, that was your mistake. Cubone's Defense is extremely high, making it so the Quick Attack did nothing. It might've even damaged Cyndaquil instead, due to its skull… Anyways, Cubone didn't feel a thing and was able to bash Cyndaquil back, knocking him out. For Aipom and Gengar, Aipom's Sand-Attack was good. I remember fighting Pidgey back in Kanto and them using Sand-Attack after Sand-Attack, making it so my Pokémon could barely land a hit… Anyways, the Sand-Attack was good. After that, you had Aipom spam Astonish. That was a good idea, since Astonish is Ghost and therefore is super-effective against Gengar. Astonish, however, has very little attack. It can cause flinching, which happened twice, but you can't always count on it to work. Which is why my Gengar was able to use Hypnosis on your Aipom and finish it with a Dream Eater." I have never explained anything in my life, so I'm not really sure how much of it Gold understood.

"O…kay?" Yep! Not a single bit.

"Let's just stop training and explaining and just… talk, you know?" I turn towards Joey.

"If you ever want to say something, just go ahead and say it."

"There's really not much to say… I'm just here because I have nothing better to do!" Sounds just like me on occasion.

"So, Gold. What's your home life really like?"

"Well, that's a topic change, but ok. At home it's really what you saw. I wake up, eat breakfast, leave the house, come back to dinner, eat dinner, go to bed, and repeat. That's basically what it is every day. This is the only change in my daily routine that I've had. So, what about you? What's your home life like?"

"I never really had a home, to be honest. As soon as I met Red, everything spiraled out of control. I started following him through the region, collecting information on Pokémon, catching new Pokémon, watching him defeat the Gym Leaders, stopping Team Rocket, watching him become the Pokémon League Champion, watching him get kidnapped, defeating Team Rocket again, saving Red, and finally beating the Elite Four and Lance. The only time that I really had a 'home life' was the time between Red becoming the Champion and him receiving his letter from Bruno. Still, Red always had to answer his challengers' calls, so we didn't really have that much time to hang out." I explain.

"Why'd you come here then? Couldn't you have stayed back with Red and have been hanging out with him this entire time? Get him to like you?" I don't blush this time, which is a surprise to even me.

"Red's a bit… dense when it comes to that. I've been trying to drop hints by yelling at him whenever he does something stupid and life-threatening, which I'm being completely serious in when I do, and crying, begging him to stop doing stupid things. He says he will, but he never does. He cries with me and says he's sorry, but I think it's because I was his first real 'friend,' and he doesn't want to lose me as a 'friend.'"

"Ah, the notorious 'friend-zone.' That's the problem with dense people. They never realize when someone else likes them!"

"Well, I know that Red's into guys as well. I heard it from… another friend, who's also into guys, who's actually into me."

"So, you've got two guys after you? Who's the other one?" Gold says, getting into my face.

"It's not that I have two guys after me; Red's completely oblivious to the fact. The other guy actually liked Red first, then when Red said he didn't like him back, he went after me. And I'm not saying his name in order to protect his reputation. He's not really one who would seem to be into relationships, or be as perverted as he really is. You know, I think he could quite possibly be on par with you with perverseness."

"Impossible! The only one who could be compared with me on that is you! So, who is it? Who is it?!"

"I told you I'm not saying. Now that we've spoken about the guys who I like and the guy who likes me… how about you and Silver?" Now it's Gold's turn to blush.

"W-what about that thief? All I want from him is my bag back!"

"And quite possibly something else, right?" He blushes even harder at this.

"W-what are you talking about? Why would you even consider that I could like him?! He's a thief! And not just a thief, but he stole something from _me!_"

"It doesn't matter. You could end up loving him in the end, after finding out what his excuse for stealing your bag is. You never know; you just have to wait and see. Now, I think we should get going. The weather's changing quickly…" I just noticed that clouds are moving in and getting darker by the minute. It'd probably be a good idea to get somewhere safe and dry… quickly.

"I think you're right…" By the time Gold finishes the sentence it's already started raining. I hate weather like this. It can be perfectly dry one second, and the next, a complete downpour. We begin running up the road in hopes of finding a town or even a house nearby.

"Quickly! The road's getting slippery; we don't want to have an accident, now do we?" The dirt road's quickly turning into mud, and we almost tripped quite a few times.

We continue running up the road for a few more minutes until one of us actually _does _trip.

And that person just so happens to be Joey.

He trips, falls to the ground, and drops his pokéball containing Rattata. The pokéball rolls across the road and continues off the short cliff that we just so happened to be walking next to.

Yeah… we didn't really choose a good place to be walking, did we?

"R-Rattata!" Joey shouts as the pokéball opens on its way down, Rattata landing in the river below.

"Don't worry! I'll get him!" Gold, now's not the time to be a hero! Just let Rattata continue down the stream, and once he gets to the end-

And there goes Gold.

Why does no one ever listen to me?!

"G-Gold!" Now Joey shouts after Gold who's already long gone down the river.

"Don't worry, Joey. Gold's too stubborn to die. There's no need to worry. I think we should keep up with him, though. Just be there to yell at his stupidity once he's done." Joey and I run alongside the cliff, keeping with the river.

"How far do you think it reaches?" Joey shouts from behind.

"I have no idea. I only hope that there isn't a waterfall. Knowing our luck so far, there'd probably be one." We continue running until we bump into a familiar face, one that I thought we had gotten rid of just hours ago.

"Oak!"

"What are you two doing out here?! I thought I saw you two running, but I couldn't believe it! Shouldn't you be inside where it's safe?!" Oak, now's not a good time to be scolding us!

"Less talking, more running. Joey's Rattata fell into the river and Gold jumped in after to catch it. We don't know how long the river goes on, but I have a bad feeling that it's not going to end pretty…" I shout while still running.

"Professor, do you have any flying types that could scout and possibly catch Gold up ahead?" He nods and sends out Ledyba, ordering her to fly ahead to see if she can see Gold. I really hope Dragonair evolves soon. That way I could just send her out to get Gold for us… Speaking of Dragonair… DAMMIT. Why didn't I just send her out in the first place? In my defense, I did have to make a split second decision…

A couple minutes later, Ledyba comes back to us, however slow, carrying a drenched Gold carrying Rattata's pokéball in one hand and Aipom's in the other.

"That… was close…" Gold pants as Ledyba lets him down. I walk up to him and give him another slap.

"You idiot!" I bring my hand back for another slap, but Oak stops me.

"I'll take it from here."

SLAP!

"You idiot! Why would you possibly think that going in after Joey's Rattata was a smart idea? You could've gotten yourself killed! You only have one life; were you seriously going to throw it away?!" I think Oak's better at yelling at children than I am. Probably because he's had to deal with Green his whole life. The poor, poor man.

"But I had to save Joey's Rattata! Did you want me to just sit there and have it die?! The pokéball had fallen downstream with it, so there wasn't any way that Joey could've gotten it back! Someone had to have gone to get it or…"

"Or?"

"Or else it'd die! I already said that! It would've been washed downstream and thrown off of that waterfall! There wasn't a chance in hell that it would've survived that! If I hadn't of been there, it would've died!"

"If I hadn't of been here, _you _would've died." This shuts Gold up.

"Gold, I know that you were trying to do the right thing, but you have to _think _before you act. If you don't, then you're more than likely just going to wind up getting yourself and others around you hurt!"

"But I didn't have any time to think! If I had stopped to think, Rattata would've been too far downstream for me to have been able to catch up with it! By the time I would've gotten to the waterfall, it would've been long over by then!"

"…Gold. I have a question for you."

"What?!"

"What are Pokémon to you?"

"What are… Pokémon?"

"Yes. I've asked this question many times in the past, and I've gotten multiple answers. One person said that Pokémon are 'Friends.' Another said that Pokémon are 'Companions.' I want to know what Pokémon are to you to have made you willing to risk your life for one."

"Why I risked my life to save one? Shouldn't that be something that everyone does, just because it's the right thing to do?" I wish that were true, Gold. I really do.

"It should be, but that's not the case. What made _you _risk your life is what I'm asking."

"Well… I don't see Pokémon as 'Companions' or 'Friends' as those other people do. I see Pokémon more as my family. I've lived with my Pokémon my entire life, so they really are my family, more so than most humans I've known. My mom and my Pokémon… they're my real family. I'd do anything for them! And Joey… seeing how he cares for his Rattata, I can see that they're as close with each other as I am with my own Pokémon. I wouldn't want to see them be broken up because of something as freak as a storm."

"I even see Cyndaquil as my family! I know that I only met him a couple days ago, but we've bonded so much during that time. I took him from Elm's lab to reunite him with his friend, which that redheaded boy stole. I promised him I'd get him back to his family, and once they're back together I'd bring them both back to the lab so they'd be reunited with the third members of their family. Like I said, I don't want any family to be broken up because of something that no one could control. Cyndaquil's now part of my family, and I won't let anything bad happen to him. Joey's close enough to be considered family, even though we've only met a couple days ago, so I won't let anything bad happen to him or his family either. I'm willing to risk my life for them, Professor Oak."

"I see… Perhaps I was wrong about you, then."

"Wrong about me? Wrong about what?" Gold asks with a stupid look on his face.

"Perhaps you _should _be the one who this is given to… I fear I will regret it later, but… here." Oak reaches into his lab coat and takes out the PokéDex that Gold had been begging for earlier, and hands it to him. Somehow, sometime during their entire conversation the rain had stopped coming down altogether. I really need to start paying attention to these things…

"You mean it? You really mean it?!" Gold's jumping up and down like a kid with a new toy, which, really, he is.

"Yes, I do."

"Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like mine back, please. And you had better not say that it's malfunctioned due to all the water…" I give a glare the best I can, but I can't keep it for very long, what with the glee on his face.

"Oh, I threw it to Joey before I jumped in."

…I have _really _got to start paying attention to these things.

"Here." Joey hands me my PokéDex, completely intact and completely dry.

"Great! Now that I have my own PokéDex I'll be able to rescue Totodile and get my bag back!" Gold exclaims.

"Hm… by any chance, would you be talking about this bag?" Oak takes the bag he was carrying on his back off and shows it to Gold.

"Yes! That's it! That's my bag!" Gold's back to jumping up and down with the bag in his hands, his face spreading into an even wider grin.

"Gold, what do you have to say for yourself?" I tease.

"What do you mean?"

"Since Professor Oak had your bag, it means that the redhead didn't steal it from you after all! I think you owe someone an apology."

"Why should I apologize to him? He still stole Totodile!" Gold never listens, does he?

"By the way… where did you find his bag, Professor?" I ask.

"I found it somewhere near Newbark Town when I was there a day ago." Joey blushes, Gold stares, and I just shake my head.

"Well, now that everything's taken care of, once again, I guess I'll be seeing you three later. Philippe, I hope you can keep an eye on Gold and make sure he doesn't do anything reckless again."

"I've been doing that for the past three years with Red! I've had a lot of training, so I should be able to handle him." Oak laughs and Gold switches his glare from Joey to me.

"Well, goodbye then." Oak turns around and begins walking back the way he came.

"Say, Joey…" Gold starts, "If you were planning on heading back to Newbark Town now that your package has been delivered and my bag's been found, would you be willing to bring these guys back to Mom? They're not used to being out of the house, so if they're not back soon she'll get worried…" Seriously, Gold? Joey's the one who forget your bag in Newbark Town, and you're still trusting him with getting it back to your Mom safely?

A ringtone breaks the silence. I haven't heard one of those since before I left Earth… Ah, the memories it brings… Well, not really that many, considering I never used my phone that often.

"Speak of the devil… it must be her calling. Wait just a second." Gold digs through his bag and takes out his PokéGear, answering the call.

"Hey, Mom… Sorry I didn't call earlier…" Gold speaks hesitantly.

"Something came up and it's gonna take a while longer…" He continues, "Yeah. I should be able to solve it without many difficulties. I'll see you when I'm done, okay?" He hangs up the PokéGear and turns back to Joey.

"Alright. So, you take this back to Mom while Philippe and I chase after Silver, alright?" Gold hands the bag to Joey and- wait…

"What makes you so sure that I'd want to go with you to chase after Silver?"

"You said that Silver's a friend of a friend of yours. Aren't you curious as to what he's up to? He stole Totodile! Don't you wanna know why? I know I do…" He's right; I _do _want to know why Silver stole Totodile in the first place.

"Fine…" We say goodbye to Joey and begin walking our separate ways.

"So, how do you set this thing up anyways?" Gold asks, talking about his new PokéDex. I take it from him and punch in his information, Gold giving it to me on the occasion that I don't know what the answer is.

"Gold… what about Silver now?" I begin, a grin forming.

"What about him? We're going to be looking for him!"

"Well, since now we know that Silver's not the one who stole your bag, you'll be able to pursue a relationship with him!" This causes Gold to literally fall over while walking.

"W-what?! What do you mean?! I don't care if that guy didn't steal my bag, he still stole Totodile! Why would I ever want to date a thief?!"

"Because you think he's cute~" I tease.

"I don't think he's cute!"

"You're blushing, that obviously means you think he's cute. You said the same thing about Red and I!"

"Speaking of Red and you, what's going on between you two? You say that he's too dense to notice that you have feelings for him, but I don't believe you one bit! There has to be something going on! I mean, you two had travelled for a good year or so, and then you beat the Elite Four together! You went through multiple life-threatening experiences with one another! Friends don't just go through life-threatening experiences with each other without coming out even closer! And you even said that Red was gay! He has to like you!"

"No he doesn't! He's free to like anyone he wants to! Except Green. There's no way he could like Green!" I immediately regret saying that...

"So that's the guy who you said tried to get with Red! And you? Seriously, why did he think that you'd fall for a guy like him? He's completely and utterly serious, no fun at all, and nothing like either of you!" Looks like not even Gold knows about the letter, or what happened during training. That's a relief…

"How do you know so much about him?"

"I do my research. I always have to know everything there is to know about hot guys!"

"So you think Red and Green are hot? And since you're chasing after Silver…" The grin returns.

"I said I don't like him, and that's that!"

* * *

Author's Note:

Yeah... this chapter's much more tame than the previous one. I think I'll stop writing after midnight and go to sleep instead. That just means I'll have to try to write earlier. Anyways, read, review, etc.


	54. Zephyr Badge?

"So… what are you going to say to him when we bump into him next?"

"Are you seriously still going on about this? Give it a rest already! It's been hours!"

Ah, the pleasure of teasing Gold. He deserves it, really, for doing the same to me just days ago. I've actually never teased anyone about anyone they've liked before, probably because everyone I know who's liked someone has eventually gotten together with that person before I could realize that they actually liked them.

I don't pick up subtle hints like that. Although, I love dropping them like crazy.

"Why should I? You did the same thing to me concerning Red when we were back at your house! So… what'll you say? Will you be absolutely speechless, or will you actually try to talk to him?"

"Just… quit it already!"

"I will when you do."

The conversation ends there.

Joey's been following us silently, observing us and listening in on our conversations, but doing nothing much besides that. We've been walking and walking… walking and walking towards the next city, and eventually, after hours and days, we make it. Seriously… why do the cities have to be so far apart?!

"Ah… Violet City. You know, truthfully, I've never been outside of Newbark Town before. Mom's always thought that there was no reason to leave, so I never did."

"If this is Violet City… then according to the map we've completely bypassed Cherrygrove. Hm… I never knew we had gone that far in only a couple days. This region's starting to feel smaller and smaller."

"It's not really that small; it just depends on which parts you go to. Most of the region's hidden, or people don't often go there. The biggest city would have to be Goldenrod." Of course. Goldenrod has the Department Store; obviously it'd be the biggest, or at least most populated.

"Hey… you know what?" Gold asks out of the blue.

"What?"

"The first gym of the region's in Violet City. Say… do you think I'd have a chance?"

…Alright, I think I now know what Mew was talking about when she said "Your actions in Kanto might have caused some changes to the story in Johto." I know that Gold's not supposed to have done anything remarkable in any of his endeavors. At least, not in what had been released up to the point when I was sent here. So… why is he thinking about taking on the gyms? What could I have possibly done that would give him the idea?

"Why do you want to take on the gyms?"

"Well, Red took them on, and he became the champion! And I'm the same age he was when he did it! And I have you with me! And Team Rocket seems to be chasing me because they're chasing you! So… I'm practically in the same predicament Red was in when he won the badges and became Champion!" I see… Basically, because I'm here, Gold thinks that that will have an effect on his chances of winning badges and becoming Champion.

Boy, is he wrong.

I mean, the only reason why I was so hard with Red in his stupidity is because I care about him and love him. Gold… I don't so much love him as I do Red, but… I do care about him. Mainly because he's truly the first person here that I can be myself around. Blue comes in close second, but… she's a girl. I can't really expect her to know what I'm feeling. Guys haven't been able to understand girls, and girls haven't been able to understand guys. Although, girls also don't understand girls… Oh well.

"Maybe… Well, the first Gym Leader's Falkner. He's a Flying type leader, so you shouldn't have that much trouble. Second's Bugsy, a bug type leader, so Cyndaquil should be able to take care of that gym easily. Third…"

And here come the flashbacks.

That damn, damn Miltank…

Gold will need to have a _lot _of luck, and maybe a few fighting types, to be able to defeat her. Rollout…

"What about the third?"

"We'll talk about it when the time comes. First, you need to beat Falkner, and then you'll need to beat Bugsy."

"Wait… Falkner… didn't you call that cop that brought us in Falkner? Is it the same one?"

"Yeah. He's an undercover Cop, I think… Either way, yes, that's the same Falkner that's the leader of the Violet Gym."

"Hm… So, Flying types? How am I supposed to fight against Flying types with Cyndaquil and Aipom?"

"You don't really have that much of a disadvantage, but neither does he. You're both evenly matched. What it comes down to is pure strength and level. Cyndaquil might be a little too weak right now to take on the gym, but Aipom's probably fine. Aipom could probably take on Falkner by himself!"

"You're right! I've been with him ever since Mom brought him home! Of course he'd be strong! How about it, Aipom? Wanna go try right now?" Aipom gives a nod and Gold and his Pokémon run towards the gym. At least, they _think _they're running towards the gym. I wonder how long it'll take for Gold to get lost… I turn towards Joey.

"So, do you think he stands a chance?" I ask.

"Probably. It's the first gym… the first gym is usually always extremely easy, and only if you're a failure as a trainer do you lose against the first gym." Ash.

"You're right. I've only heard of one person who lost against the first gym leader back in Kanto, but he was using an Electric type against a Rock gym leader…" At least Red had Poliwhirl to back him up.

"So, how about we go ahead and look for the gym, and while we're at it, Gold to make sure he doesn't get lost?" Joey nods and I take out the map, looking for the gym.

Gym… gym… gym… Aha!

I point out the location of the gym on the map to Joey, then start in the direction that Gold had headed off towards.

It takes a while, but we eventually catch up to him. He had originally gone the wrong way, but he managed to go around in a circle and, in the end, ended up in front of the gym.

"So, this is a Pokémon gym… Let's go!" Gold rushes through the double doors along with Aipom and Joey and I follow silently behind.

"Is anyone here?" Gold shouts into the room.

"Hmm…? Oh…! It's you three!" Looks like Falkner recognizes us!

"Yeah! Philippe here told me who you really are, and I want to challenge you!" Such a blunt attitude.

"Are you sure you think that you're strong enough to defeat me? You _were _unconscious during the battle against Team Rocket." Uh-oh…

"I thought I asked you not to tell anyone about that!" Obviously I'd tell him about it! It's Team Rocket, and he's a police officer – maybe – so just put two and two together! Either way, if it wasn't for the Gym Leaders of Kanto we never would've been able to defeat the Elite Four. It'd do all of us good if we befriended the Gym Leaders early on.

"Hehe… sorry…"

"Do you want to battle or not?" Falkner, it's impolite to interrupt.

"Of course I do!" Gold walks over to the stage in the center of the gym, motioning Aipom to walk out in front of him.

"Alright then! Let's begin!" Falkner sends out a… Pidgey? Really, I honestly thought that in real life the leaders would be using much stronger Pokémon. I mean… a _Pidgey? _Oh well… it's Sand-Attack can get pretty annoying.

"Knock it off balance!" Pidgey begins flapping its wings towards Aipom, creating a gust of wind that blasts itself into Aipom. Aipom jumps and flips in midair, landing on its tail.

"You should know that Aipom has great balance!" Of course; it's a monkey.

"Fury Swipes!" Aipom runs to Pidgey and begins scratching at it repeatedly until the Pidgey breaks free of the attack. It didn't take much damage, but there's a lot of feathers that fall to the ground.

"Sand-Attack!" Oh Arceus no…

Pidgey picks up some sand in its talons and throws it towards Aipom, the sand getting in the monkey's eyes.

"Aipom, wipe it out and Scratch!" Aipom tries using its… hands? to get the sand out of its eyes. Most of the sand comes out, but some is still left behind. Aipom then runs towards the Pidgey and begins Scratching it like mad, again, until the bird breaks free.

"Another Sand-Attack!" The Pidgey picks up more sand and throws it towards Aipom, blinding it even further.

"Same thing!" Aipom wipes the sand again, rushes towards the Pidgey, but this time the sand's obscuring its vision too much that it can't see and misses the attack entirely.

"One more Sand-Attack!" Once more sand it thrown into Aipom's face, and this time it seems as if Aipom can't see at all. This is why I hate Pidgey…

"Well, it doesn't matter if he can't see! Swift!" As long as Aipom can withstand the attacks from Pidgey, he should be able to win. Aipom continuously sends wave after wave of stars towards the Pidgey, each star hitting spot-on. The Pidgey begins throwing gust after gust of wind towards Aipom as well, neither letting up. That is, until Pidgey gets hit with one particularly strong star that sends it flying into the wall, sliding down, and knocked out.

Falkner returns the fainted bird to send out yet another bird, this one larger in size. A Pidgeotto.

"Quick Attack!" Falkner spares no time and gets right into the next phase of the battle. Pidgeotto dashes towards Aipom and smashes right into it, sending it flying backwards.

"Swift!" More stars come out in waves, each hitting Pidgeotto, but having less of an effect on this bird than they did on the smaller bird.

"Gust!" Pidgeotto sends a blast of wind, similar to Pidgey's but greater in power, towards Aipom. The wind picks the monkey up, sends it flying, then has it come crashing back down into the ground. Aipom's knocked out.

Uh-oh…

Now all that Gold has left is Cyndaquil.

Is Cyndaquil even ready for a gym battle at this stage?

The only Pokémon that it's fought so far are… Cubone. That's it.

I don't think that Cyndaquil has much of a chance. Well, taking into consideration the bit of damage that Aipom had dealt, Cyndaquil has a higher chance than if it were to have gone up against Pidgeotto at full strength. And that's saying something about a Pokémon that's not even level fifteen.

Gold returns Aipom to its pokéball and sends out the fire mouse.

"Alright. I know that we haven't done that much training, but I need you to work with me, okay? Just finish the Pidgeotto and we'll have our first badge!" Gold tries pep talking Cyndaquil. Cyndaquil answers by flaring its back.

"That's right!" Cyndaquil starts off its fight with an Ember, barely scorching the bird. Pidgeotto retaliates by using another Quick Attack, ramming itself into the mouse, knocking it onto its back. Cyndaquil quickly rights itself and sends another Ember. This Ember hits Pidgeotto, causing one of its wings to catch fire.

"Blow it out!" Falkner has Pidgeotto flap its wing repeatedly until the flames die out. By that time Cyndaquil's already shot another Ember towards the bird, hitting the wing again, but Pidgeotto's ready this time and continues flapping its wing, extinguishing the flames before they can do any real damage.

"Rush it!" Pidgeotto begins charging towards Cyndaquil again for another Quick Attack. Cyndaquil waits for Pidgeotto, just standing there, and… Just a split second before Pidgeotto would come in contact with the mouse flares up the flames on its back, the flames burning Pidgeotto as they collide. Cyndaquil raises the intensity of the flames, burning Pidgeotto even further. It takes a while for the bird to recover from the shock and get out of there, but by that time the bird's so badly hurt that it can't move, let alone fly. The rest of the flames die out on their own as the bird faints.

"It appears that you have bested me." Falkner says as he returns the unconscious bird to its pokéball.

"I did it! Philippe, I got my first badge!" Yes, but there's still seven more to go. You're not even supposed to have this first one in the first place.

"Yeah. Only seven more." Falkner walks over to Gold and hands him his badge.

"This one's called the Zephyr Badge. There are many badges, but this one is one-of-a-kind." Like them all?

"Like your friend said, you need seven more and you'll be qualified for the Johto Regional Championship. Watch out, you only have a few months left before sign-ups end. You're really pushing it if you're starting this late." Red pushed it by starting late, and look at him! He won the Championship!

…But Gold's not Red.

I wonder how he'll do…

Speaking of Gold, he's already run out of the gym and started shouting about how he got his first badge "on his first try." I better go out there before he makes a fool out of himself… well, more of a fool.

* * *

"I'm hungryyyyyyyy…" I can't believe I'm saying this, but Gold might whine as much as I do.

Naaaaaaaaaah.

Almost, but not quite.

"Then why don't you go look for a place selling food? There's bound to be one somewhere."

"That's a great idea!" Gold pulls both Joey and I up and drags us around, looking for a place to eat. Joey's just been watching and not saying much. He reminds me of me back on Earth, and even for a little while in this world.

"Hey! They look like they're selling food!" Gold lets go of us and dashes off to wherever he was pointing towards. We follow and soon enough the stand comes into view. "Famous Rice-Cakes…" What makes them so famous?

"These look delicious!" Anything looks delicious on an empty stomach, Gold.

"I'll have… these!" Gold points some out, holds up five fingers, the vendor takes five and hands them over, Gold hands the man the money, and he begins eating one. Ravenously.

"Gold, you really shouldn't stuff your face all at once like that. Eat in moderation!" I should be one to talk; I eat anything and everything I find!

"So? What does it matter to you?" Gold says in-between bites.

As soon as Gold finishes one and begins to eat another, just before it gets to his mouth…

I begin to feel the ground shaking. At first it's just a little vibration, but soon the vibrations become stronger, and eventually so strong that they're strong enough to hear. Gold doesn't seem to notice it, for he's already eaten the second and has moved on to the third. As soon as this third rice-cake reaches his mouth, a huge herd of stampeding… Donphan? Alright, I seriously have no idea where they came from. Anyways, the huge herd of stampeding Donphan rush right by us.

And Gold's just worried about his food.

"Bleh! Mud?! What kind of food do you call this? I mean, the first two were great… but what's this?!" Gold…

I honestly have nothing to say to that at the moment.

"Gold, honestly, pay attention. Let's just go after those Donphan and see why they're stampeding through the city." Gold looks towards the dust trail and takes out his skateboard from his bike.

"Alright! Hop on you two! This guy's gonna pay!" Is all he cares about food? And Silver, but that's a different story altogether.

We both hop onto the skateboard and Gold kicks off, speeding towards the mob of Donphan up ahead.

It takes a while, but we eventually catch up with the herd, and then catch up to the front and the person riding the lead Donphan.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Gold shouts.

"What do you want?!" The mystery man shouts back.

"What I want is for you to pay for another rice-cake! You ruined mine! See?" Gold throws the muddied rice cake at the man and causes him to wobble for a second.

"What the… Get out of the way you damn brat!" Gold, you've really done it this time…

"Aipom, help me out here!" Gold sends out Aipom and has him Scratch the man as well as his Donphan, but the armored head of the Donphan protects him and the man from the scratches.

"Horn Attack!" Gold swerves to the side, narrowly dodging the attack. This swerve, however, allows the man to build some distance between us.

"Alright, let's see what these things are…" Gold points the PokéDex at the Pokémon and a picture of the Donphan pops up.

"So, Donphan, huh…? It says here that the one with the largest tusks is the leader. Must be the one in front!" You don't say?

"Let's get it!"

"Gold, even if the one out front is the leader, and if we take it out then the rest will become disorganized, you have to think of _why _it's the leader. Not only because of its large tusks, but also because of its strength and power. It won't be as easy to defeat as you think it would be. Besides, your Pokémon are still weak from the Gym Battle!"

"Dammit… How about you take care of it then?" Quoting my favorite pervert, "Dammit…"

"Fine, fine…" I send out Gengar and have him creep along the shadows of the Donphan, making his way to the front of the line. Gold picks up some speed and starts catching up with them as well.

_Gengar, confuse it!_ It might be confusing, so let me explain it:

Since Gengar is a Ghost Pokémon, he can also be considered a "Spirit." Spirits are also considered to be the remains of being that has died, making them past the realm of the living. I guess… well, the best way I can explain it is that since Gengar's a ghost, he's not bound to the rules of the living as much as… well, the living are. Although I'm part of the living, and thus bound to the rules as much as any other person is, Gengar's my Pokémon, so I guess it makes me an exception… I really have no idea how this works either, so don't ask me.

All I know is that I can communicate with Gengar telepathically.

In the anime, I know that Sabrina is able to communicate with her Pokémon because she's a Psychic and her Pokémon are Psychic types… I think that's why she's able to communicate with them. It's been such a long time I don't exactly remember…

Anyways… it might also be because Gengar's able to learn some Psychic attacks that he's able to communicate telepathically.

Oh well. Better not overthink it _too _much.

Back to the battle!

Gengar sends a wave of energy from the ground towards the lead Donphan, confusing him upon contact. Even though I never used it in the games, Confuse Ray's a pretty good and accurate attack.

The Donphan veers to the left and…

Crashes into a brick wall.

Seriously, what kind of person just puts a brick wall up in the middle of the road? Even the side of the road makes no sense, unless it was a full wall…

But nope! It was just a several feet section of a wall, not an entire one.

And the Donphan completely ruined it.

"I'll be taking this!" Gold shouts as he walks up to the man, taking a pouch from his hands.

"There's bound to be enough money for at least _one _rice-cake in here… Let's go, Philippe!" Still going on about food, I see?

* * *

When we make it back to the rice-cake shop we see two men instead of one. One, the vendor, and two, a random guy I've never seen before.

"Oh, there you three are! You're the ones who went after that herd of Donphan, aren't you?" Gold nods his head.

"Great! Say… you didn't happen to come across a pouch that that man was carrying, did you?"

"You mean this?" Gold takes the pouch out of his bag and the man begins jumping up and down a little.

"Yes! Yes! That's it! That's what he stole from me!"

"He stole this from you? Man, I know how that feels…" Gold, I've said this a thousand times; _Silver did not steal your bag from you._

Either way, he hands the man the pouch.

"Thank you! So, I heard that you were hungry, is that correct?"

"Dammit! My rice-cake!" Gold turns around and starts marching back towards the thief, when the man puts his hand on Gold's shoulder.

90% of… you know what, let's just drop that thought.

"Yes, of course I'm hungry! That's why I started after the thief! To get the money he owes me for the rice-cake he ruined!"

"Well, if it's food you're after, I've got plenty!" You should see the look on Gold's face…

* * *

"W-what?!" Gold must be surprised at all the food here. I'm not. Really, I'm not. Although there's so many different kinds of foods, with so many different kinds of condiments, it's not really that out of place for me. I've seen set-ups like this back in Viridian City after Red and I stopped Pikachu from ruining the city, when Red and I stopped by Misty's mansion for the night, and right after Red had won the Championship. All three times, they had different kinds of food, ranging from spicy to sweet, from bitter to sour. Red's mom also loved to spoil us as well. Because Red was the Champion, and because of all his challengers, he made quite a bit of money. She made so much food every night, I really think that all the exercising I did while travelling Kanto with Red had been reduced to nothing. Oh well, the travelling I did with Yellow had reverted that reversion.

And now that Gold's gotten over his shock while I was thinking to myself, he's eating everything in sight. I better grab something now before he eats it all.

"So, what do you do to afford all this?" Gold asks while chewing.

"I run a Pokémon Tuition Center in this city. My name's Earl." Earl… Earl… the name sounds familiar… oh well.

"Whatever that is, it must pay good money!" Gold, you really need to stop talking with your mouth full.

"It pays well and I enjoy it. It's the perfect job in my eyes." Enjoying what you do and being paid for it sounds like the perfect life. I'm doing what I love right now, training Pokémon to get stronger so I can keep up with Red. I don't get paid for it, but that doesn't really matter now, does it?

It's not like I have anywhere to send whatever I buy. I'm out and about all day and all night, and have been for the past three years.

"So, what exactly is in that pouch the thief stole?" Gold asks after finishing his current meal.

"There were a bunch of important documents for the center that were stolen; I'm just glad that they were returned! I don't know what I would've done if they had been stolen and lost forever…"

"Anyways, you three can stay and eat for as long as you'd like. At least until the food's gone, but with how you are right now, I still don't think you could eat everything!" I wouldn't bet on it.

"Why? Are you going somewhere?" Joey speaks up. Finally! Joey, stop being so quiet. Makes us forget about you.

"I'm going to meet with Professor Elm's assistant later today. I best get going so as to not be late…" Gold's face dropped then and there.

"Professor Elm's… assistant is coming?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Oh… no reason… in particular…"

"Very well then. Maybe I'll see you later?" Earl walks out the door and exits his house, leaving Gold, Joey, the servers, and I alone.

"Gold, why are you scared of Elm's assistant?" I ask.

"Because it means he must be mad for me taking Cyndaquil! He's probably sending his assistant over here to take him back from me… Gah! What should I do?!" Gold's now panicking.

"Maybe you could rescue Totodile before his assistant gets here? At least then you'd be able to return both of them at once and reunite all three with each other. Once his assistant gets back to the lab, Totodile and Cyndaquil will be reunited with Chikorita. Isn't that what you wanted to do in the first place?" Gold agrees and nods.

"Yeah! Let's go look for Silver then!" Gold runs out the door before I can tell him that we have no idea where Silver is right now. Although, if the story's going how it's supposed to be going, and the fact that Gold's now after the badges hasn't altered anything too much, we should be running into Silver soon.

How soon, though, is something I'm not quite sure of.

* * *

Author's Note:

HAPPY ALMOST BIRTHDAY DIAMOND! Because I know I'll forget and completely miss it when it comes around. Anyways, here's another chapter, and I hope for many, many, many reviews. *HintHint*


	55. Bellsprout Pagoda

"Have you seen this person?"

"I'm sorry, but no, I haven't."

"Have you seen this person?"

"I've never seen anyone like that in my life."

"_Have you seen this person?!"  
_

Gold's just been running all around the city, trying to see if anyone's seen or heard of Silver. And, just like those last two people answered, no one that he's asked has. If I remember correctly… aren't we supposed to meet him in Sprout Tower? I'm almost positive that's how it is in the game… Is it the same way in the manga?

"Gold, I think you're asking the wrong people. Every single person that you've asked so far has said no. Maybe you should go to the police…?"

"No! Not the police! Anways, if the police have seen him, that means that they've already caught him and that everything that I'm doing is for nothing! Wait a minute… maybe the thief knows!" Does Gold honestly think that the thief's still back at the wall? It's been a good hour or two, so the likelihood of it is extremely low.

We walk back to the destroyed brick wall, and…

I'm proven wrong.

The thief's still there.

Why is he still there after two hours? I mean, crashing into a brick wall _has _to hurt, but hurt so much that the person can't move for two hours?

"Hey! You! Have you seen a person like this before? His Pokémon's a Totodile." Finally! Finally Gold remembered Silver's Pokémon's name!

"I've never seen that guy before in my life!"

"Liar!" Gold looks as if he's about to punch the thief, but a girl steps up right before he's able to and says something that snaps him out of it.

"I've seen that boy before. Not too long ago, actually." Gold turns around and stares straight at the girl.

"What?! Where?! Where did you see him?!"

"I saw him at the Bellsprout Pagoda just minutes ago." So I was right! Well, that depends on if the Bellsprout Pagoda is the same thing as the Sprout Tower.

"Alright! Let's go!" Gold begins running.

"Gold, you don't even know where the Pagoda is! You're gonna get lost just like you did when you ran off for the Gym!"

"Doesn't matter! If we stop to ask for directions he could be long gone by the time we reach it!"

"But if we get lost, then he's definitely going to be long gone by the time we either: A, finally find the place, or B, stop, ask for directions, and make it to the place!" You know, it's really tiring to shout while running. Not to mention it makes you run out of breath _extremely _quickly.

Twenty minutes later and surprisingly, and amazingly, we ended up outside the Bellsprout Pagoda without too much trouble. Gold had taken one or two wrong turns, but nothing too bad that we had to start our search for the building all over again. At least, considering how little time it took to find the place, I think… The city's much larger in person compared to its size in the game, so twenty minutes doesn't seem like that long in comparison.

I really need to stop thinking to myself and pay a little more attention to the things that are happening around me. Gold already has one foot in by the time I realize where he's gone.

"Gold! Just where do you think you're going?" I shout at him, Joey startling me by appearing beside me as quiet as a ghost. Well, as quiet as a quiet ghost, anyways. Gengar always loves playing tricks on people and making a scene.

"I'm going to find Silver, that's what I'm doing! Haven't you heard anything that I've been saying for the past half hour? I'm going to find Silver so I can find Totodile, get him back, and return him to Professor Elm!"

"That doesn't mean you can just barge right in! What about knocking first?" I really need to think of something better to say than something about knocking; I always sound like a hypocrite whenever I do.

"The door's open! If they cared about knocking they would've kept it shut!" Gold, _you _really need to start paying more attention to your surroundings as well.

"…Gold, there's no door. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't knock! You could always knock on the side of the entryway!" By the time I'm done shouting at him he's already inside. Oh well…

Joey and I both follow him indoors.

"Alright, so…! To catch a thief, one must first be able to _think _like a thief. Be the thief… be the thief… If I were a thief, where would I go…?" Gold begins mumbling to himself.

"Probably someplace where no one could see or hear you."

"Where would that be…" Gold continues walking across the floor, the boards squeaking with each step.

"Probably not here. The entire building's population probably knows we're here with all of your squeaking." Speaking of the "entire building's population…"

"Hello! Are you in search of training in Pokémon Martial Arts as well?" Seriously, how am I always able to be so easily snuck up upon? If it wasn't for the people I travelled with, I'd have been dead a long time ago. Wow… There's a lot of things that if I hadn't have had I would've died a long time ago.

And "Pokémon Martial Arts?" Seriously?

Also… "as well?" Does that mean someone has come by here in the past? Probably Silver, but I think Gold hasn't realized what the man has said yet. He's too busy shaking his head.

"No, no, no! I'm not here for Pokémon Martial Arts! I'm just here to-" He's cut off by one of the… Monks? That's the best term I can think of for now.

"My name is Peaceful." Peaceful? What kind of name is that?

"I'm Mindful." Mindful?

"Faithful." …Faithful?

"Careful." Honestly, do all of these monks have names that end in –ful?

"I'm Painful." Must… keep… perverted… thoughts… to… self…

"Thoughtful." And that just proves my point. All of these people have names that end in –ful.

"From now on, you shall be called 'Awful!'" Well, I can't argue with you there. Gold _is _pretty awful… but hopefully not for long. I need him in order to stay alive!

"First we must shave your head."

…A bald Gold?

…The image has me doubled over, laughing. Joey seems to find the thought highly hilarious as well, and is laughing with me. Gold, on the other hand, is giving the both of us, as well as all the monks in the room, death glares.

"Shave?! Nu-uh, _no one's _touching this hair! And I'm not Awful! If you're gonna talk to me, call me by my real name! And that's _Gold." _Wow, I never would've thought that Gold would be so defensive about his hair. Silver, maybe. But not Gold.

"I'm only here to look for someone! I'm not here for your training!"

"…So you're not here for the Martial Arts training?" Isn't that what he just said?

"No, of course not!" Gold reinforces.

"Bellsprout Pagoda is solely meant for training. Only those who want to take part can enter. Even if you hate it, we shall still make you join us!" One of us… One of us…

Seriously, these people are starting to freak me out. Well, as much as obsessed Bellsprout monks can.

"Bellsprout, Swords Dance!" The Bellsprout that were besides the monks begin locking leaves and circle around us.

"Now, Cut!" The Bellsprout _now _let go of each other and begin using their leaves as some sort of knives and begin cutting towards us, but ultimately, completely missing.

Although, just by his luck, one cut managed to cut the tip of Gold's hair. And that made him angry.

"See? This is the result of intensive training! You can also become stronger if you train with us!" The result of intensive training is all but one attacks missing?

"I still say no! The only reason that I've been holding back against you guys is because it was, after all, my fault for trespassing, and I truly am sorry for that. But if you're going to continue to insist that I join you guys, then I guess I have no choice but to fight back!"

Gold sends out Aipom and commands him to Scratch the Bellsprout. The Bellsprout begin to circle up again, this time providing defense for one another. The Scratches do little to no damage.

"Dammit! Let's see…" Gold pulls out his PokéDex again to check on the enemy.

"It says that Bellsprout are extremely weak, but they make up for it in speed… And what's worse is their damned team work!" Exactly; two minds are better than one, teamwork's always the best, etc. etc.

"Let me try this." I take a pokéball from my waist, throw it, and out pops Pikachu.

"Alright, let's see if this actually works…" Since all of the Bellsprout are holding hands…

"Thunder!" Pikachu shoots one bolt of electric power towards the Bellsprout closest to him and it hits, shocking the Bellsprout. After the first Bellsprout is hit, the two on either side of it, holding its leaves, get shocked as well, then the two next to those two, then the two next to those two, and so on and so forth until all Bellsprout are knocked unconscious from the high voltage. Wow… Ash had done that so many times and it had worked, but I never thought that it'd actually work in real life…

"Philippe… that was… amazing!" Gold shouts.

"Well, of course it was. I had to have picked up a few tricks, didn't I? I mean, I've travelled with Red for so long…"

"Where's your teamwork now?!" Gold shouts to the monks.

The monks cower in fear of the all-mighty mouse.

"If you try something again, I'll just have Philippe here kick all your asses again!" Hey…

"Don't I get a say in this?"

"Nope!"

And so, we begin marching up the seemingly endless staircase to the top of the Pagoda, the monks following behind us for two reasons: One, Gold wants them with us so they don't try any funny business, and two, the monks want to be near us to make sure that _we_ don't try any funny business. It'd be Gold who'd try the funny business, not me, by the way.

It takes a couple more minutes of walking up the stairs for the silence to be broken.

"Wait a minute… why would Silver want to go here?!" Honestly, Gold. You really do need to keep up.

"He just got a new Pokémon not that long ago from Professor Elm's lab, it's more than likely only his second Pokémon, considering the only other Pokémon he used was Sneasel. Also, these monks have said that this place is a place for Pokémon Martial Arts. Doesn't that mean that Silver is probably here to train and become stronger?" Makes sense… if this place really is a "dojo," of course if he had come here it'd to be to get stronger!

"Ehehe… makes sense… So… how much longer is it to the top floor anyways?" Gold asks the monks following behind us.

"Not much longer. Only a couple of minutes more and we'll have reached the top. I also have a question for you. Why is it that you're chasing this boy?"

"He stole something very important from me and I want to get it back." I guess I should just give up at trying to get him to understand that Silver didn't steal anything from him.

"What does this boy look like, exactly?" Oh great, now Gold's gonna have to describe him. Hm… maybe that'll help. If I can see how Gold describes him and what features he describes, maybe that'll help me get closer to seeing if he really likes him or not… I'm almost positive he does, but I've been wrong in this department before.

Many times before, to be exact.

"Well, he has long red hair, silver eyes, he never smiles, never shows any emotion, really, and he wears some sort of black suit…" Yeah, I don't know how to describe it either, Gold. Really, all I can say about your outfit is that you're wearing a jacket and shorts and carry a pool stick thing around with you all the time. For me, much simpler: I'm wearing a buttoned shirt with pants. Easy and simple. Basically, the same thing I bought back when I went shopping with Red the first time after almost dying for the millionth time. Speaking of which… I really should get another outfit soon. Not another hat. I'm still wearing Red's, and I'm never getting rid of that. And speaking of Red's hat, I wonder why Gold hasn't said anything about it?

Alright, back on topic.

I seem to be getting off topic a lot lately, haven't I?

Oh well. That's just me.

"The boy you're speaking of… does he look similar to the boy over there?"

…I honestly am speechless right now.

Gold, how on earth did you not realize that Silver was standing right there? Now, even though I didn't realize it either, I have an excuse: I was absorbed in my own thoughts. That's a good excuse, right?

"Yes, he looks exactly like that guy!" I couldn't really expect anything else from Gold, given his previous actions.

"Wait…"

Double-take!

"What the fuck?!" Gold, it's not nice to swear. Especially in front of the nice monks.

…And Gold continues swearing as he runs up the stairs to get to Silver.

"Hm…?" Silver turns around, spots Gold, and sends Totodile out from behind him to attack.

"Slash." Totodile does just that, slashing the wooden platform that Gold's been running on and completely destroys a section of it, causing Gold to lose balance and begin to fall. Gold grabs onto the very edge of the platform and manages to bring himself back up.

"You thought it'd be so easy to get rid of me? Well, think again!" Gold shouts.

"I've been hunting you ever since I first met you in New Bark Town; you're not getting away so easily!"

_Now _I get why it's called HunterShipping!

Anyways, Gold sends out Cyndaquil to battle Totodile. Has he seriously forgotten about type advantages and disadvantages? I guess he'll be needing some help.

"Tackle!" Gold commands.

"Bite!" Silver commands.

I send out Dragonair and have her extend her body over the gap that Silver had created and slowly walk across her. I feel bad for using her as a ladder… type… thing, but I honestly have no other option! Genger wouldn't work, Pikachu wouldn't work, and Cubone wouldn't work; she's the only one who could help me get across!

Considering I'm currently in the body of a thirteen year old, I shouldn't be too heavy… so I guess I really shouldn't feel too guilty. If I were in my old body, _then _I'd have something to feel guilty about.

"Return the Totodile you stole from Professor Elm, or else!" Gold shouts as I return Dragonair.

"Hmph. And why should I?" Silver responds.

"Because you stole him, that's why! He's not yours!"

"And? Why should I care if he wasn't mine to begin with. The fact of the matter is that I have him now, and Professor Elm doesn't. If he really had cared about this Pokémon he would've kept a better eye on him, wouldn't he?" Silver actually has a point there… Not an excellent point, but still a point.

"I knew you wouldn't give him up so easily… if you would've, then you wouldn't have stolen him in the first place!" Gold continues to shout.

"Gold, Silver, could you two please stop fighting for just a moment?" Gold and Silver turn to me. Well, at the least they've given me a moment.

"Alright. Now, Gold's angry at Silver for stealing Totodile. Silver's… I don't really know what Silver is. Annoyed? Yeah, let's go with that. Silver's annoyed at Gold for following him ever since he left New Bark Town and chasing him all over the place, trying to get Totodile back. Now, Gold, it's obvious as to why you're angry about that. But, why don't you let Silver explain himself? Silver, why did you steal Totodile?" I've never been the mediator between two people before… I wonder how I did?

"Yes, Silver dear. Why don't you let these three boys know why you did what you did? It would probably clear up and misunderstandings and stop them from chasing you around, now wouldn't it?" …

Alright, I know that no one's supposed to be travelling with Silver at this point in time. It's not Crystal, I know that for sure; the voice was far too mature and… well, feminine, for Crystal.

That's two things that aren't supposed to have occurred that have. And we're only in Violet City! I wonder how many others will happen…?

"And who are you?" Gold shouts at the newcomer.

"Why, me? My name's not that important. At least for now. What _is_ important, however, is to get you and Silver to stop fighting. It's honestly been incredibly annoying ever since I teamed up with him… all he's been doing is complaining about you over and over again, complaining about how you've been chasing him, interrupting his plans, getting in his way, etc. I just want this to be over." The girl… woman… thing explains.

"It so is important as to who you are! Why are you travelling with him? Don't you know he's a thief?! That'd make you a criminal, too!"

"Now, now, Gold. Just travelling with Silver here doesn't make me a thief. I happen to understand why Silver did what he did, so I'm travelling with him because of that. Your friend has been trying to get you to understand why Silver stole Totodile. And he's right. If you just knew his reasons for doing so, you wouldn't be so quick to judge him. Just give him a chance to explain himself."

"Hello? Has everyone forgotten that I'm right here?" Silver comments with an irritated tone.

"Oh, no, Silver sweetie! Of course I couldn't have forgotten you!" This girl… she seems oddly familiar…

And I'm really starting to dislike her. She's completely ruining my fantasy of Gold and Silver!

"What if I don't want to explain myself? I don't need to explain myself to anyone!" Silver shouts.

"But you explained yourself to me!"

"That's because you wouldn't leave me alone!" Yes, giving in only because the other person wouldn't stop pestering you. That's actually how my parents got married.

"Still doesn't change the fact that you told me everything~" This girl… I'm now not sure what to think of her. Should I like her, or dislike her? I'm confused…

"Forget it! Totodile, Water Gun!" Silver orders his Pokémon to blast a jet of water towards Cyndaquil, completely dousing the Pokémon, lowering the flames, but not completely extinguishing them. No, because that would mean that the Pokémon would have died.

"It doesn't matter if your determination has led you to find me. It doesn't matter how much you wish to take Totodile back and return him to the Professor. It all comes down to strength and intelligence. You'll never win if you continue to fight like that. After all, Water always beats Fire, and your Cyndaquil will never learn anything to be able to overcome my Totodile." Then why is it that in every game the player can defeat the rival, even if they always have the weaker starter? Oh, that's right. Because they have five other Pokémon. Duh.

"It doesn't matter if Cyndaquil's typing is weak against Totodile's! Strength and intelligence aren't the only two factors in a Pokémon battle! Guts, courage, and willpower are all factors as well! If a Pokémon isn't willing to fight, then it'll never win! If a Pokémon doesn't have the courage to face its challenges, then it'll never win! If a Pokémon doesn't have the guys to face its challenges, then it'll never win! It doesn't matter if a Pokémon has all the strength in the world, or all the intelligence in the world. If it doesn't want to fight, then it won't, and if it doesn't think it can win, then it won't!" Honestly, Gold. You're starting to remind me more and more of Red every day, and it's making me home sick.

"So that's what you think? Well, if that's the case, then you'll never win. It doesn't matter if a Pokémon thinks they can win; if they don't have the strength, they'll never succeed. Pokémon typing has already been predetermined by nature. There's no way to change that." Aw, stop being such a downer, Silver.

"If that's what _you _think, then you're wrong! We'll just show you how powerful courage is, right, Cyndaquil?" Gold looks towards his Pokémon with the weakened flames, and Cyndaquil looks right back at him. The Pokémon makes a sound of approval, turns to face Totodile, and glares at the other Pokémon, its flames intensifying to an even greater point than they were at before the water had diminished their strength.

Silver's completely taken off guard by this and gapes at the now flaming Pokémon.

"W-what?!"

"Smokescreen!" Cyndaquil releases a cloud of smoke from his mouth, obscuring everyone's vision. Including the monk's, Joey's, the girl's, Silver's, Gold's, and mine.

"Come on! We have to find Totodile and get out of here!" Gold grabs a hold of both mine and Joey's arms and drags us through the smoke, searching for Totodile.

"Where are you Totodile?" Gold shouts through the smoke. Gold, if you don't want Silver knowing where we are and knowing that we're after Totodile, you really shouldn't be shouting like that.

Eventually after a minute or two of searching, we find Totodile. Cyndaquil's been blowing out more and more smoke as soon as the current supply begins to diminish to keep up our cover.

"Aha! There you are! Come on, now! You don't have to be with that scary boy any longer! I know how you must feel, being forced to obey his every command. Come on, you don't have to listen to him anymore!" Gold extends a hand to the idle Totodile and-

Totodile bites his hand. Hard.

And Gold lets out a screech. Loud.

"H-hey! What's the matter? D…don't tell me… you'd prefer to stay with him?!" Gold shouts at Totodile.

"Of course he would!" Silver shouts from behind us. Looks like he's finally found us. Took him a while.

"Huh?" Gold, stop being such an idiot.

"It appears that your Pokémon's smoke is running out." It's true; Cyndaquil is producing less smoke than he originally was, and is appearing to be more tired than before.

"Only a weakling would use such deceptive attacks like that!" Hey, that was Gold, not me.

"Shut up!" Gold, don't be so rude to your future boyfriend!

"I'm just telling it like it is." He is kind of right, you know…

"It's obvious that Totodile wants to stay with me. It's the only way he'll grow stronger. If he had stayed behind with that Professor, or was taken by you, he'd be much weaker than he is now. Back at the lab, he'd never have the opportunity to fight. With you, you'd never let him reach his full potential. Only with me can he become strong!"

"Are you sure you want to be with him, Totodile! I could make you stronger too! I seriously can't tell what you're thinking with that same expression on your face all the time…" And as soon as Gold finishes his sentence, spikes shoot out from the wall!

Honestly, it's as if life just hates me sometimes. Even _if _it's happening to other people.

"What the…?!" My thoughts exactly, Gold. He jumps out of the way of the spikes, almost being skewered, while Silver nimbly jumps and flips in mid-air, dodging the same wall of spikes.

Why can't I be more ninja like him?

And now, the next booby trap! A giant iron ball falls from the ceiling – aren't we on the top floor already? – and starts rolling towards us.

"There's no place to run!" Gold states the obvious.

"We'll have to catch it." Silver also states the obvious.

So, all three of us position ourselves in front of the giant ball, hands extended, and push to prevent it from flattening us and/or throwing us into the giant pit that Totodile's Slash had created.

"Where did those traps come from?!" Gold shouts.

"These traps are used in the monk's training; your Pokémon's smoke must have set them off!" Wow, Gold. You're really making yourself, useful, aren't you? Well, it wasn't really his fault; he didn't _know _that the smoke would set off the traps… To be completely honest, I completely forgot about this part as well.

I only hope that my forgetting won't get us killed, and that we'll be able to hold onto this ball before anything worse happens.

Gold and Silver were able to themselves before, so with me added, we should be able to hold it for a bit longer.

"Oh, so it's _my _fault?! Well, it's _your _Pokémon who destroyed the stairs and made it so we have no place to go!"

"It's both of your faults! Now shut up and have your Pokémon help!" I yell at them. The more bodies that help, the easier it'll be on everyone. After Gold orders Cyndaquil to help and Silver orders Totodile to help, I let go for a second and send out my own Pokémon, Gengar, to help. Even though he's a shadow, somehow he's able to touch physical objects.

Which is how he's able to play pranks on people. That, and because no one can see him when he does said pranks.

And now, instead of helping us like their owners had asked, Totodile and Cyndaquil begin to climb the ball, staring at each other once they get each other in their sights.

"Are they… communicating with each other?" Gold asks.

Cyndaquil begins to use Ember. Not on Totodile, but on the ball. This is where my prior knowledge in science comes in handy!

"What are they doing?!" Gold shouts.

"Gold, hot plus cold in a short amount of time equals broked object. If Cyndaquil heats the ball up, then Totodile cools it down, it should crack." Silver seems to have reached the same conclusion I have, for he ordered Totodile to cool the ball down right after Cyndaquil is done heating it up.

"Slash!" Silver orders Totodile to slash the ball once it's done being cooled down and it splits right in half, both sides falling off into the hole behind and to the sides of us.

"Alright!" Gold shouts, jumping up and down now that his hands are free.

Thanks, Toto-" Gold stops his thanks half way and gains a confused expression.

"Huh? Where'd you…" Here it comes…

"He's gone again?!"

"Yes, he is, Gold. Silver seems to be the one to leave once everything's done and over with, without a trace. Don't worry, it's not that big of a deal. Now, what _is _a big deal is her…" For some reason, the girl that had been with Silver earlier is still here, and hasn't gone to chase after him.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I was just leaving." She speaks.

"Oh, not so fast. Now, I know that you know why Silver stole Totodile, so I know that you probably have a good reason as to why you're sticking with him. However, I would still like to know who you are exactly. So, if you wouldn't mind, would you please tell me?" I ask.

"I'm sorry, I would if I could, but I can't. It'd ruin the surprise! Speaking of surprises…" The girl comes closer to us and stops by Gold, then whispers something in his ear. His face turns bright red from the blushing that occurs.

"W-what?! H-how dare… how dare you!" He shouts, looking ready to slap her.

"Hahaha! I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist! Anyways, it's the truth, and I just thought you should know that. Don't lose hope, Gold! Always believe!" And with that, the girl jumps down the hole that's in the middle of the room and lands with a thump, although we can't see where she's running off to due to the blackness down there.

"Honestly, what's up with her?" I ask, turning to Gold, only to see that he's lost all capability of speaking due to whatever it is that she had said to him.

"Gold? What did she say?"

"I… I promise myself that… I will never repeat a word… that that girl just said…" And with that, he faints. Great. Now I have someone else to carry back to the Pokémon Center.

* * *

Today's been a pretty hectic day, so it's no wonder that we're all tired. As soon as we got to the Pokémon Center, Joey crashed on the floor mat that we got for him, Gold started getting changed and ready for bed, and I just sat on the bed, thinking about the things that had previously transpired with the thief, Earl, the Pagoda, Silver, and that mystery girl.

I still can't shake the feeling that I know her from somewhere… but where?

It's not her appearance… it's the voice. Her appearance is quite remarkable, however.

Her hair isn't that much of an "anime" color; it's a regular brown with a tint of blonde in it, somewhat like mine. She wore a pale colored skirt that went down to her knees, not showing off much. Which is really good, considering that she couldn't be much older than I am mentally. Maybe a bit younger; probably around sixteen or seventeen, but not much older than that.

That much of her isn't remarkable. The remarkable thing about her is her eyes. Her eyes… they're a bright green, just as my eyes are a bright blue. Not a dull color, but an absolutely bright color.

Still, her voice… her voice is a mix of an extremely feminine voice and an extremely feminine _male _voice. Still distinctly feminine, though. I can't really think of anything to compare it to, though. Oh well. Hopefully we'll meet again the next time we run into Silver.

If we do, I'm going to pester her until she tells me what her name is, and I don't care how long it takes. I have a feeling that I know her, and I have to find out!

* * *

Author's Note:

Not much to say this time around. Read, review, etc.


	56. A Little Reminiscing

"We rarely talk anymore, you know that?"

"It doesn't really matter, now does it? We're talking now, aren't we? As long as I check in with you every now and again, that's all that matters."

"But it gets lonely not having a divinity to talk with every now and again; this is what, the fourth? fifth time we've spoken so far?"

"I wouldn't neccesarily call myself a 'divinity…'"

"It's what you are, isn't it? God of my world, Legendaries and Guardians of this world. Saying that, it'd mean that you aren't exactly as powerful as the 'all-powerful God' of my world, seeing as you have to share your powers with the others, but still. You have the power to change shapes, you have the power to help create the world, you have the power to bring into existence what you want. Isn't that basically what a divinity is?"

"Let me help clarify something for you. Yes, I can change forms, and yes, I helped create the world. But I can't will something into existence. I don't have those kinds of powers. None of the Legendaries or Guardians do, either. None of the creators of this world can do that. Alone, at least. Yes, we willed the universe into existence, but that drained us of our power to do so, and some of us still aren't completely recovered from the ordeal, even though it _was _thousands, millions… I don't even remember how long ago it's been that long."

This is one reason I like talking to the Legendaries; they tell me stuff about the world, even when they don't think they are. I guess it's because they assume that I already know what they're talking about, or that they're used to talking with each other; other beings that were actually there when these events took place.

"So, now that we're both here, how about you tell me more about the history of this world?"

"Alright! So… you know about the pokéball, you know about the huge argument we had concerning creation, blah blah blah… As you can tell, I'm not as good as Mew is at telling people about this kind of stuff. I was never really into history… Maybe because I've lived it all? Anyways… Ok. I'll condense this next part of history into one short speech. So, after the pokéball was invented, after the arguments had become more heated and more intense, eventually neither side could just sit around and do nothing. So, a war broke out. A war that was so great, so immense, that it practically wiped out the entire human and Pokémon – besides us, of course, - race. Kind of like your 'Great Flood' with Noah and what-not." How does Celebi know about Noah?

"And by that look on your face, you must be wondering how I know that. Didn't Mew tell you that we did some research on your world before creating our own?" She did mention that once…

"I guess I could let out a bit more than is desired…" Celebi mumbles to itself… wait… what?

"What do you mean 'more than is desired?"

"Well, I'm only supposed to let you know a certain amount of info each time you ask for it, because, seriously, if I tell you everything in one sitting, that'd leave nothing for future visits, now would it? You wouldn't need to come and visit us anymore! That'd make us just as lonely as you felt before this one. Well… the war between the Legendaries and Guardians is somewhat like your 'Conquest' game. Honestly, how the people of your world learned about our world even before it came into existence is beyond me." Conquest? What's that?

"Oh… you have that look again. That's right… It wasn't released until after you came here. It's another game in the Pokémon series in your world." Celebi's explaining of things is just bringing up more questions than it's answering.

"You've been in constant contact with my world ever since I was brought here?"

"Of course! We need to keep in contact with your 'divinity,' don't we? We don't want anything going wrong on their end just as much as ours! Deep down, you're still connected to Earth, no matter how much you wish not to be. You lived there for sixteen years, and you've lived here, so far, for another three. Earth is still your 'birthplace,' so to speak, so of course you'd still be connected to it. Plus, we want to see how they're doing with the manga and series. Just to see how much information they're still receiving on us. Strange… the entire space/time continuum is really confusing to me."

"But aren't you the Pokémon of Time?"

"No, I'm the Pokémon of Time _Travel. _Dialga is the Pokémon of Time, Palkia is the Pokémon of Space. Those are their dimensions. Now, where was I… oh, yes. Strangely, we know of our future before it happens, but we can't change anything. Although, if a being from outside of our world were to come in…" She hints towards me.

"Then that being would be able to alter the course of history?"

"Exactly! Because that person wouldn't have to obey the same rules and laws of the universe that everyone else, Legendaries and Guardians included, had to. Since you have an 'Earthen Code,' so to speak, you're not bound to the same laws we are."

"You know, it's really weird thinking about every living being as a code… makes it sound like I'm in a video game. Which, technically, I am… well, according to the logic back on Earth. This is all just one big video game to them, one big manga, one big anime. None of it's real to them. To me, however, this is my life… I wonder what people would think if I were back there now, after all that I've gone through? I wonder what they'd think if I were able to bring back a Pokémon with me, or even one of the trainers here…"

"That's what you thought when you went on one of your 'walks,' wasn't it? Always thinking about scenarios of you going to distant lands, distant universes, becoming a hero, and bringing back to Earth with you the memories and powers you gained there?" Alright, now I _know _that Celebi lied when it said that it couldn't read my mind.

"How do you know all that?"

"Mew told me." Oh.

I'll have to have a talk with her the next time I see her.

"Don't worry; all of the Legendaries know what she found out when she probed your mind the moment you were brought here. It's better and easier for us that way; we all know you before we meet you, so we have a sense of who you are and what you've done, as well as being able to relate back to your previous 'life' on Earth when we have conversations exactly like this one!"

"Alright… I think. Can we get back to the Conquest thing?"

"Oh, right. It's basically Pokémon combined with war. Humans helped the Guardians in the war by using Pokémon against their creators, us, the Legendaries, by enslaving them in the pokéballs they created. Now, these weren't the pokéballs that we had agreed on them letting their humans use. These pokéballs were ones they had created in secret and were planning all along to use against us if the time came. They enslaved Pokémon with a guaranteed capture, much like today's Master Balls, although they allowed the 'owner' to force the Pokémon within to do whatever they wanted to do, even if it was against their will."

"So, what stopped the war?"

"That, my dear friend, I'll save for another time. If I told you it now, that'd be rushing things too quickly. So, goodbye!"

Oh, dammit.

* * *

There's still so many questions that I have to ask Celebi! Oh well… I guess I'll wait until next time.

Whenever that'll be.

I take a look around and see that Joey's already up. It has to be… actually, who can really tell what time it is without looking at a clock?

"Joey, what time is it?" I must've shocked him out of his thoughts, for he jumped a couple of inches into the air from where he was sitting.

"I didn't know you were awake."

"I just woke up. Now, what time is it?"

"It's six in the morning. I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep." Sounds like me.

"Why couldn't you get back to sleep?" I really want to see if something's bothering him, and if that's the reason he hasn't been talking much lately.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it!" He tries to put on a fake grin, but I can tell that it's fake. Wow… I never used to be able to tell when someone was genuine or false with their emotions. Being here must be doing _something _to me.

"Honestly, Joey. Do you think I can't tell when something's wrong or not? I've been with Red for years, and I know when something got to bothering him, or if something was wrong between us. I've also been trying to hide my emotions from people, so I know all the tricks there are. Especially how to fake a smile."

"I guess you got me… Well, you see… it's as you said. I'm scared of being with you because of the danger that you're in, not because you did anything wrong, but because… well, actually, yeah. It is that. But it's not like you did anything bad or evil! You just did something wrong in your enemies' eyes… And they don't like you for that." Then…

"Why do you stay with us if you're scared? I've told you time and time again that if you want to go back you could. You're done your delivery, so you don't _need _to stay with us any longer."

"That's just it… I _want _to go back, but I know that if I do my life will just go back to how it was! I'm used to living with my mom, going to school every day, helping mom take care of the house and the Pokémon we own… So when my mom lent me Rattata for this mission I was asked to do, I jumped at the chance. I was given a package to deliver to Professor Elm, which are three things I never thought possible! I was asked to do something that no one else was asked to do, I was able to get out of the rut my life had been dug into, and I was given my very first Pokémon, even if only for a little while…"

Joey's life sounds exactly how mine was when I had first gotten here. Wow… And I always thought that he was just the annoying boy who was obsessed with his Rattata day in and day out.

"So, you see, I _am _scared, but if I go back to how things were I'll never forgive myself, because I know that I'd never take another chance like this again!"

"Well then, all you have to do is continue getting stronger, which you've been slacking off at… and just trust us. See, Joey. I've been in more life-threatening situations than anyone I know, except for those who were in them with me, and I've survived every single one of them. I was thrown off of a moving ship by Lt. Surge, I was blasted in the Silph Co. building, I was blasted in Cerise Island, and I was blasted by Lance. And I'm still alive, aren't I? And the real important thing is, those were all leaders and heads of the organizations that were hunting me. So far, all we've run into are the grunts and lowest members. So the only time you should be worried is when you see a person with my enemy's logo on it that looks different from a normal grunt. Because that's probably a higher leveled member of the team and is stronger than the rest."

"So, all I should do for now is… train and not worry?" I nod my head

"Exactly. That's what I had to do when I travelled with Red. All I had to do was train and not worry, because I knew that if something went wrong, Red would be there to help me, or if something went wrong for Red, I'd be there to help him. And we survived like that. And when things got too tough for the two of us, we had other friends to help us. You have friends here, Joey. Even though we haven't spoken much, and even though I'm not much older than you, you remind me a lot of myself before I started off on my journey with Red for the first time. I've matured much more than a normal person would in three years because of everything that I've been through." I don't know why I'm feeling like… more of an adult all of a sudden. More of a "wise" person. I guess it's because I can see myself when I look at him.

"Mornin'." Oh, look who else is awake now?

"Took you long enough to wake up. Joey's been up for hours waiting!"

"And how long have you been up?" Uh…

"Longer than you." Yeah. That's a good comeback.

"Well, now that we're all up, how about we get a head start on tracking Silver?" Of course Silver's the first thing he thinks about after he gets up. Hehe… I really need to stop thinking like this…

"If that's what you want to do, oh mighty leader, then lead the way!" I say with a dramatic wave of my hand.

"Alright!" Gold jumps up and begins to head out the door.

"Gold?"

"Mhm?"

"Your pants?"

* * *

"I still can't believe that we were so close to catching him yesterday, but we let him escape! Who knows where he could be right now?!" Gold complains. He's always complaining when we're out trying to track Silver.

"We had to get our sleep. We tired ourselves out by trying to hold that boulder for so long. And since Silver was with us in helping keep the boulder up, he should be as tired as we are, which means he's probably not too far."

"I guess that's true… If you were a thief, where would you hide?" Honestly, enough with this "thief" business already!

"Gah! I just can't stand not knowing where he is and knowing that he's getting farther and farther away every second that we're standing here! Come on! Think!" He shouts after giving us a couple of minutes to think.

"Gold, think for a second, please. We were all tired yesterday from holding that boulder up and from battling Silver. You need to think. If we're all equally as tired, then that means that our physical strength as humans is equal. If yours and Silver's Pokémon were able to split the boulder that evenly, then that means that neither side gave more power than the other. Which means that they're also equal in strength. But to be able to defeat Silver, if that's really what you want to do, you'll have to become strong_er_ than him. Not as strong, but stronger. And during yesterday's battle, watching you two fight, I'd think that you'd also need to bond more with Cyndaquil. Even though Totodile and Silver aren't that close to each other, they know how to work well with each other. I'd say that it's because you're new to handling Cyndaquil and that you don't know him that much, but Silver has had Totodile for only… a day or two? longer than you've had Cyndaquil for. Maybe it's because Silver's been fighting with Pokémon longer than you have? I have no idea… But due to the fact that Silver was able to connect with Totodile so quickly, I think that that's a good possibility. Anyways, bottom line is, before chasing after Silver again, I think that you should train some more. Both yourself, your Pokémon, and your bonds." I'm not used to giving long-winded speeches like this… Deep breaths. In, and out… In, and out…

"Are you saying that I'm weaker than Totodile?" Gold, is that all you have to say about what I just said?

"That's not all I'm saying, Gold. And no, I'm not saying that you're weaker than Totodile. I'm not even saying that Cyndaquil's weaker than Totodile. I'm just saying that you need to bond more with your Pokémon before you go up against Silver again. At first, with Pikachu and I, we didn't really get along, so Pikachu wasn't at his full potential. You should've seen him with Red, really… He kept shocking his own trainer before shocking his opponent!"

"What do you mean, 'his trainer?' Isn't Pikachu yours?" Guess I forgot to include that part of the story.

"Well, at first, Red was the one who threw the pokéball, but he said that I should have Pikachu because I didn't own a Pokémon at the time. I told him that since he was the one who threw the ball, it's his Pokémon, but he insisted that I keep him. He sent out Pikachu and tried being friendly, but it shocked him. He asked for me to try, I did, and he didn't shock me, so Red took that as Pikachu liking me more, so that he should go to me. And so, that's how I got my first Pokémon. Moral of the story? Well, I let Red have Pikachu, just as added protection, when he went to face Bruno, and Pikachu came all the way back to Pallet Town, half-beaten and half-fainted, to tell us that something was wrong with Red. That means that Pikachu had gotten much closer to Red and had bonded with him. That's what you and Cyndaquil need to do. You two need to bond so that you'll be able to trust each other. Do what's right for each other. Do what's in the other's best interest, and know what those interests are without the other having to tell you. Ok?"

"Do what's in the best interest of the other… without having the other have to tell you?" Exactly.

I nod my head.

"In the best interest… of the other…" Gold mumbles to himself. He sends out Cyndaquil.

"Uh… hey, Cyndaquil? I know that we haven't really spoken much lately, and I know that you probably can't understand me right now, but… I've been thinking a bit, and… would you like to go back to Professor Elm's? I know that I told you that I'd be trying to get back Totodile for you so you could be reunited with your family, because that's what I thought that you'd want. But, I don't really _know _what you want to do. Philippe said that I should do what's best for you, and maybe… that also works for Totodile as well. Maybe Totodile doesn't want to go back. Maybe he's happy with Silver. And maybe you're happy that he's happy with Silver, and don't want him to be taken away from him either, and maybe you'd just be happier back at Elm's lab. I don't know… Cyndaquil, what do you want to do?" I really wish I was Meowth right now. That way I could understand what Cyndaquil was saying! That, or N, or one of the Legendaries.

"Gold, you don't have to ask Cyndaquil what he wants to do this very instant. Maybe, the next time we see Professor Elm, you could let him out and see if he goes to him, or if he stays with you. That'd be a sure fire way of telling who he wants to be with, wouldn't it?" I suggest.

"Yeah… I guess you're right. It's all… just so confusing!" He groans in frustration and flops to the ground.

"Joey, I think now would be a good time for you to talk to him a bit. You know all about frustrating situations, don't you? Well, more recently than the last time I had one, at least. What with your dilemma about going back home and staying… just go talk to him, please." I ask. Joey nods and walks over to Gold and begins to talk with him.

Ah…

For the first time…

I truly have time to myself.

The time talking with Celebi doesn't really count, since I was talking with it and not by myself.

But now, since Celebi can't read my mind and can't invade my thoughts, I'm truly alone…

And it feels weird.

Well, at least now I have time to think to myself and think about everything that's happened since I got to Johto.

Which, even though it's only been a couple of weeks, has been a lot.

Alright. First thing's first. When I got here, I ran into Joey and Gold, cleared up the misunderstandings, and stayed with him for the night.

Really, Gold's mom reminds me a lot of Red's, but much more strict and much less… pushy to get me together with her son. I wonder how Delia's doing…

And Gold himself. He's just as perverted as I thought he'd be, and much more open about it as well. Much more open about it than me, at least. He's also much more forgetful…

Joey. He's… interesting. Much _different _than I thought he'd be. Normally I think of him to be that one character that you just can't stand because of how annoying they are, but really, he's more like me than I ever could imagine. And me, I'm one of those people that people can't stand because of how annoying I am. Joey's a bit annoying when he talks about his Rattata, but now that I've been in this world for a few years, I know how attached one can get to their Pokémon, so I understand why he is how he is about his Rattata. It's his first Pokémon, and his life prior to getting him is, strangely, almost exactly like mine. Except for the fact that he's lived in a world with Pokémon his entire life, and I was only sucked into it three years ago.

Alright. After that we left to deliver the package, ran into the con-artist by the bridge, had Gold's bag "stolen," ran into Elm in his lab, as well as Silver, caught Silver escaping from the lab, fought him, ran out into the woods, fought Team Rocket, were caught by Falkner, and brought back to Elm's lab for interrogation.

Gold's really much more resourceful than I thought he'd be. And much more observant, even if he's forgetful. He was able to catch onto the fact that the con-artist was a con-artist before anyone else could, and he even put a stop to him himself. Gold's really something…

Especially the fact that he keeps saying that Silver's the one who stole his bag.

I mean, come on, he _knows _that Silver didn't steal his bag due to the fact that Oak told him that he found it not far from where he had "lost it," but he still thinks that Silver stole it.

I'm pretty sure it's just an excuse to get closer to Silver, as well as an excuse to chase him all over Johto. But if he really wanted an excuse, he could just be using the excuse that he wants to get Totodile back.

Which he kind of is… But I still think he just wants an excuse to chase Silver around.

Speaking of which… I'm still curious as to what that girl told Gold yesterday. He said that he'd never repeat a word of what she said, but I'm going to continue trying to get him to tell me.

Alright. Onto catching Silver and escaping to the woods.

We caught Silver stealing Totodile… I think. Or was it just him returning to the scene of the crime? Who even thought of that being a smart idea anyways? If you're a criminal, shouldn't you want to get as far away as possible from the scene so you're less likely to be caught? Oh well.

Criminals are just stupid.

Except for Silver. He seems to know what he's doing. Although, he does have Blue as a surrogate sister, and she's just as good of a thief, probably even better, than he is.

I guess that's where he learnt it from.

After that, the battle…

Why is Team Rocket in Johto? I know that they appear here in the games as well as the manga, since they're here, but why, exactly? It can't be just because they're trying to reform to get revenge on Red and the rest of us, could it? Because if that's the reason, then all of the members who have a grudge against us could just team up and go against us all at once. They're organized and careful, which means they must have a much larger goal in mind.

I only wish I knew what it was.

And if Team Rocket has a much larger goal in mind, then they should really think about hiring some stronger grunts. If all of them are as weak as the ones that Silver and I defeated, they're going to have a horrible time. A horrible time indeed.

Falkner… such an interesting character. He's both a Gym Leader and a Police Officer? Does he really need the extra money that badly? Or does he honestly want to be a police officer to be a police officer and to protect the innocent? Or does he just like the uniform? The world will never know!

Or I won't, at least.

But seriously, him and his Pokémon… why was he so weak? He used a Pidgey and a Pidgeotto. The generic bird type of the Kanto region. Not even the generic bird type of the Johto region! And his tactics… Sand-Attack after Sand-Attack, trying to blind the opponent?

Either he's a horrible trainer, or he was just going easy on Gold since it's the first gym.

I'll place my bets on the latter reasoning.

Because if all of the Gym Leaders in Kanto were able to band together and stop Team Rocket from taking over their home towns, they must've been much stronger than they were letting on. Especially Brock, considering he's the first leader of Kanto.

Same with Misty, because she's the second.

And Lt. Surge! He's only the third gym of Kanto, yet he's strong enough to be one of the top members of Team Rocket. Same with Sabrina and Koga.

Although, Red was still able to beat them fairly easily.

For Gold's idea of Silver's face… I question if that's how he thinks Silver truly looks like, or if he was just having fun with his imagination, or if he was trying to make the picture look as far away from the real Silver as possible. I really don't know.

I break away from my inner thoughts to take a look at Gold and Joey and see how they're doing. It seems that they're doing just fine; they're still talking, still laughing, and their Pokémon seem to be getting along just nicely. Rattata appears to have burned itself a bit on Cyndaquil's flame due to a little blackening, but other than that it's perfectly fine.

I go back to thinking.

Alright, after the questioning we set off to find Silver. We bumped into Oak a bit after that, he yelled at Gold for not being a good trainer, Gold stormed off, we ended up in that huge mud slide slash rainstorm, Rattata almost drowned, Gold saved him, and Gold got his own PokéDex as well as his bag back.

Oak really had a good reason to yell at Gold. He was all "mememe!" when Oak showed him the PokéDex after upgrading mine. Gold was only thinking about himself back then. Wow… after only a couple of weeks he's already changed this much! Although, right after he was denied he still acted like such a little kid.

He was pouting non-stop, but I guess I can't blame him; that was me when I didn't get what I wanted back on Earth.

After he finished pouting, the entire thing with Rattata happened.

I know that if I was in Gold's shoes, I would've never have jumped into the water. That's because of two reasons: One, I would've never have thought my swimming abilities to be good enough to have been able to reach Rattata on time, and I probably would've sent out Dragonair to get Rattata. I know that I didn't think of it at the time, but that's mainly because Gold had already jumped in before I knew what was happening.

That's what I keep telling myself, at least.

Oak actually revoked what he had said earlier and gave Gold the PokéDex after what he had done and after what he had answered with to Oak's question. I guess I can see how Gold can view Pokémon as his family, what with living with them his entire life in his own house. So, in a way, they really are one huge family. Probably closer than most other families out there.

Back on topic. I still can't believe that Gold could have changed that much in only a couple of hours. He went from being a whiney brat to being so mature in the course of one event! Or, maybe he was just hiding behind his immaturity before, and decided to come out of his shell afterwards? Maybe he wanted to prove he was mature, or maybe he just pretended in order to get his PokéDex?

There's a lot of things I'll never know.

And after all of that… Gold finally got his bag back! And he still thought that Silver was at fault.

Actually, he still _thinks _that Silver's at fault. Even after it was proven and revealed to him that Silver had never even _touched _his bag!

I guess Gold will never embrace the truth.

After Gold had received his PokéDex, we continued on towards Violet City, Gold fought the Gym Leader and got his badge, we ran into the thief, returned the stolen pouch, got invited to a fancy feast, went to question the thief about the whereabouts of Silver, went to the Bellsprout Pagoda, were assaulted by monks, travelled up the Pagoda to find Silver, Gold and Silver fought, the mystery girl revealed her presence, we were almost killed by dart traps and a falling boulder, we prevented the boulder from crushing us, Gold and Silver fought again, and Silver and the girl escape. Oh, and the girl said something to Gold that he still won't tell me what it was!

Violet City… much larger than it was in the game. Although, I guess you can say that about pretty much everything; including the people and the Pokémon!

I guess video games, animations, and drawings really can't capture the true essence of what they're attempting to display and portray.

However, I'm amazed at how close they were with getting the Pokémon and the trainers, as well as the landscape and layout of the regions to the actual thing. The maps of the regions that I've visited so far have been extremely close to how they looked in the game. As best as I can remember, anyways.

The Pokémon… I'm still surprised at how "cute" they look. For the majority. Obviously the "ugly" Pokémon aren't going to look cute, but they still look much better than I thought they were going to look like when I saw them in real life. Like Grimer and Muk, Koffing and Weezing, Ditto, and all the other ones. For the cute Pokémon… mainly the starters, Cubone, Pikachu, and Dratini slash dragonair – basically the ones I've caught – they're much cuter than they are on a screen. In Dragonair's case, it's more beauty than cuteness. The long and slender body of a snake-like-thing, the perfectly spherical balls on its tail, and the two wing like things on its head, as well as the "necklace" and horn.

Really, I don't know what to call any "decorations" of Dragonair's body, but they all help to add to her beauty. And speaking of "her…"

It's strange to think that there can be a male Dragonair and a female Dragonite. Although, I guess the strangest example of that would be a male Minccino and Cinccino.

Alright, I really need to try to stay on track more… but that's just me; I can't help it!

After we arrived at Violet City, Gold attempted to win the first badge, and won. That's the first major instance of something going far differently than it was supposed to. Mew had warned me that this could happen, but I never really believed her. Everything had gone according to how it was supposed to go all throughout Kanto, so I never really took into consideration the possibility of things going wrong… I did when I was first sent here, but that fear soon subsided as things kept going the way they should. I wonder if Gold's really going to try to get all eight and attempt the league…

If he wins, that should definitely get Silver interested in him.

If he isn't interested in him already.

Note: Ask Silver how he thinks of Gold next time we're alone.

If we can get alone.

Every time we run into him Gold's always trying to fight him.

After he beat the gym, there was the incident with the thief. I've been running into a lot of thieves lately. There was the guy at the bridge, this guy, then all of the Team Rocket members I've been running into every so often. I consider the entire organization of Team Rocket a thief's organization, so every member in there I consider a thief as well. Gold was actually pretty good at trying to stop him, but in the end I had to help. I'm not taking all the credit, because it was mainly Gengar's doing, but it's nice to be able to do something that someone else can't do for a change…

All the while I was travelling with Red, I felt inferior to the Champion. But I didn't mind that much. That's because I love him! But feeling inferior to Green… That's something that I wanted to change immediately. And every so often when we fought I beat him, but he kept getting stronger and stronger until he became stronger than me…

Even Yellow's catching up to me!

After we had apprehended the thief and had received an endless amount of food, we went back to him to question him about the whereabouts of Silver.

It was Gold's idea, and only because he thought that since the thief was a thief, he would know where Silver was because Silver's also a thief. Honestly, with that logic it'd mean that I'd know the exact location of Blue, Green, Yellow, and Red at any given moment because we're all trainers.

Well, maybe Red, if I was able to have installed the tracking chip… I really need to ask Blue for a copy of the locator or whatever she uses to track him down.

And then comes that girl… that mystery girl who I have no idea who she is. She said that Silver was headed towards the Pagoda, and we left, believing her.

After entering the Pagoda, we were assaulted by monks. They tried to get Gold to join them; ha! Did they honestly think that Gold was even there for training? He thinks that he's one of the strongest there is, and that he doesn't need any training!

At least I was able to get through to him somewhat during our little conversation earlier. I only hope that he'll take my words to heart and not disregard them later on.

Pikachu's defeating of the Bellsprout… I didn't think that Ash's tactic would actually work, but looks like it did. I'm really surprised that it did; I mean, this is Ash we're talking about! Ash, the trainer who's never won a single Championship in his life! Red won the first one he entered at eleven years old, and Ash hasn't won any within the past sixteen – now nineteen – years of training his Pokémon!

Speaking of the past nineteen years…. I'm curious. Does he still look like a kid? I loved reading the conspiracy theories on why he still looks ten years old, even though he should really look like he's in his late twenties.

After Pikachu defeated the Bellsprout, we had continued up the Pagoda to almost the top floor, and that's where we ran into Silver.

And Gold had been completely oblivious to the fact that Silver was standing right in front of him. Really, above him, since he was at the top of the stairs, but they both mean the same thing!

Gold started to have his Pokémon attack Silver, Silver had Totodile destroy the stairs, Gold jumped to the other side and continued his battle.

I really feel bad for using Dragonair as a ladder… But, like I said, I'm glad that I'm not as I was on Earth, otherwise she would've never have been able to hold my weight like she did.

I got to the other side, tried to stop them from fighting, and that's when she re-appeared.

She knew that Silver was there, and she told us, her "enemies," where he was. If she's working with Silver, then that means that we're her enemies too, right? Oh well…Anyways, she said that she knew the real reason as to why Silver stole Totodile, and was trying to get Silver to reveal to us why he did. I really wanted to know, but of course, Gold being Gold and whatnot, didn't care and just wanted to battle some more.

Which he did.

And that battling is what caused the spike traps and boulders to almost kill us.

Gold's really been trying to get us killed a lot lately, hasn't he? Whether it's him knowing what he was doing or him not knowing what he was doing, either way his antics usually put us in danger. Same with my previous antics that just keep following me wherever I go.

I can feel why Joey's scared of staying with us. He's much braver than I would've been, though. I would've gone home and stayed there after my first brush with death. The only reason why I didn't… is because I couldn't. I guess that's somewhat related to the saying "Ignorance is bliss." If I don't know something's dangerous, I try it out and only find out it was dangerous if said dangerous thing happened. If the dangerous thing didn't happen, I usually find out about the risks a little while later, and am glad that I didn't know them when I was given the chance, because I know that if I had known the risks before taking the chance, I wouldn't have taken the chance in the first place and I would've never have gotten the results I had gotten, positive or negative.

And speaking of a brush with death… well, speaking of a lot of things, after the boulder had come down we had to try our hardest to prevent it from crushing us and or throwing us down the hole in the ground that Silver had created. I really didn't think that we would've been able to stall it, but we did, somehow. And if it weren't for Gold's and Silver's Pokémon, who knows what would've happened… Oh, I do!

We would've died.

Because we wouldn't have been able to hold the boulder in place for much longer. So, I'm extremely grateful that their Pokémon were able to put aside their trainers' differences for a little while and work together to save us.

What I really can't believe…

Is that Gold fought Silver _again _after we had almost died.

And he even used one of the lowest tricks in the book! He had Cyndaquil use Smokescreen to hide from Silver and Totodile, and went after Totodile himself. I know it's mean and bad to be thinking this, but I do think that Gold got what he deserved when Totodile bit him when he tried to get him to go with him.

Totodile is, no matter how much Gold wants to deny it, Silver's Pokémon. Even though Silver did steal Totodile from Elm, Totodile has accepted Silver as his trainer, and is following him and obeying his every order. I don't think that a Pokémon should belong to someone because of a pokéball or anything. I think that a Pokémon should belong to someone depending on whether or not they want to be with that person.

And after all that happened, the mystery girl came back again. And this time, she said very few words. And most of those very few words I wasn't even able to hear because she had whispered them into Gold's ear, and Gold doesn't want to repeat them to me!

I'm still gonna try to find a way to get him to tell me what he had been told by her.

Probably something perverted.

And if it's from her, since she's travelling with Silver, probably something perverted about Silver.

Which makes me confused as to whether I should like her, or hate her. Her attitude and personality are quite like mine, although not exact, obviously, but… we're still similar in some ways.

After that we went to the Pokémon Center and rested, woke up, I had the whole conversation with Joey, we came out here, and now…

Here we are!

I think I should check up on the other two now; I've given them a good long while to talk with one another.

I finally break free of my thoughts for one last time and look towards the other two boys to see that they're still talking, just as they were the last time I checked up on them. I never thought that they'd be able to talk for so long… I know that I wouldn't have been able to. Well, maybe… considering that we're both so alike. But if it was with someone I didn't know at all, and someone that was nothing like me? Probably not.

I begin walking towards them to tell them that it's about time we get going, when I hear a particular string of sentences that make me slow my advance.

"Joey, don't worry. I'll be there to protect you, I promise. Don't fear anything! You told me that Philippe said the same thing to you earlier today; you have to trust in us, and you have to trust that we'll be there to protect you. I don't want you leaving us. Even though you haven't really contributed much… or said much…. That doesn't really matter. The only thing that matters is that you've been with us since we left New Bark Town, and you've been with us through the hardships that we've had to face. Philippe's been through so many more, and look at how close he and Red are! Actually, look at how close he and everyone else who had gone through those ordeals are! If we work together, we'll become closer and stronger together. If you work alone, then you're doomed to be alone, because you'll never learn how to work with others. Just look at Green! I never told you this, but Philippe had let it slip earlier that Green has a crush on him, as well as Red, and both of them denied him. And what's his personality? Cold and impersonal. He doesn't like anyone else knowing anything about him or his history, he doesn't like getting close to people. Which has me question why he likes those two in the first place…"

Alright, Gold, when did you become just like me when it comes to consoling others? You basically said the same exact thing I did, but in… different… words…

He stole what I had spoken to him about earlier and just mixed up the words to fit his situation!

And he stole what I had told Joey earlier!

But, why'd he do it in the first place? I consoled Joey earlier today, so why'd he want… to do… that… too…

"Just leave everything to us. We'll make sure you're safe." He whispers to Joey, leans in, and…

Gives him a kiss on the cheek.

Just like Green did to me right before I left for Johto.

It feels good not being the one on the receiving end of the kiss – unless it was Red – but still…

_This is not supposed to be happening._

Gold's supposed to be with Silver, Silver's supposed to be with Gold… he's not supposed to be with Joey! Joey's not even supposed to be here at this time! I guess me being here really is changing a lot of things…

Because I know for a fact that Joey's not supposed to end up with anyone! At least, not at this point in time.

Wait… maybe Gold doesn't really have any feelings for Joey, and is just following in Green's footsteps? Only going after him because he's a pervert? If that's the case, hopefully him realizing his true feelings for Silver will snap him out of his perverted ways and lead him to the path of true love…

Oh Arceus… I have _got _to stop reading romance novels.

But there's so little to do in my spare time that I have nothing better to do! I also have so much spare time, that when I _do _find something to do, I finish it quickly and am on to the next thing just like that.

Sometimes, right before I go to sleep, I read a bit. Sometimes, when I wake up before everyone else – the few times that is – I read a little bit. Sometimes, when Red was battling the Gym Leaders or in-between matches during the Championship, I would read.

And all of this reading of romance novels has really given myself a deluded vision of romance.

Maybe Gold will never be lead out of his ways of perverseness, and maybe he'll always be a pervert…? Maybe he'll never find true love. Maybe he'll only go for Silver because of his perverseness and his need for…

I'll stop there.

Because Gold and Joey are staring at me.

Because I was staring at them.

"Can we help you?" Gold says with a grin, while Joey's still dumbstruck. Just like I was after Green did that to me!

"I was just going to say that we should be heading out when that little scene occurred."

"Yeah… Hehe… I guess you're right. If we stay here any longer, who knows how much further Silver will be able to get!"

* * *

Author's Note:

Sorry for this chapter; it's really something to help me find out where exactly my position is in the story and how much has deviated. That's why it's basically a filler chapter. Don't worry, the next one will be back to the actual story. I just needed a break from all the action and time to take a breather.

On another note... I have to admit something. Whenever I post a new chapter, I'm always scared that whatever's within that chapter will upset the people reading this, and will make them not as interested in the story anymore. That's really the reason why I'm always asking people to review; so I can see if I'm going in the right direction, or if I should change directions.

And last but not least, a final note: This is officially my longest chapter ever! Almost nine-thousand words.


	57. Ruins of Alph

"Waaaaaaaaah!"

"Where'd they come from?!"

Great. Now that we're in a semi-crisis situation Joey decides to talk.

Not long after the little scene between Joey and Gold did a swarm of Sunkern begin harassing us. Or we were harassing them by being in their territory…?

I really need to start studying the PokéDex again.

"A herd Pokémon?!" Gold shouts as he reads from his own PokéDex.

"I guess so. That'd explain why they started attacking us _in a herd." _I state matter-of-factly.

"Man! What are we gonna do now? Say, why don't you-" Gold's cut off by something that he sees, I'm guessing, since he points towards the sky.

"Now there's a _bird?!" _Luck just doesn't seem to be going our way today, does it?

"Return!" A familiar voice shouts from across the field. The bird that Gold was pointing towards disappears in a flash, and is replaced by a Noctowl. Now, if there's one person around these parts that I know is a bird trainer, it has to be Falkner! But didn't he only have a Pidgey and Pidgeotto when Gold fought him? I guess this confirms my suspicions as to Gym Leaders taking it easy on newcomers.

Right. Focus. Herd of Sunkern.

Well, it doesn't really seem like I need to focus, since Falkner seems to be calming them with ease. Once the herd dissipates, he walks towards us.

"Hey! It's you! The Gym Leader!" Way to state the obvious, Gold.

"So much is happening all too quickly…" Joey mumbles to himself.

"I know. We just decided that it was time to head out, and as soon as we did we were attacked by a swarm of Sunkern. And less than a minute later you showed up and stopped them!"

"Yeah, well, I just so happened to be in the vicinity and saw those Sunkern headed towards something. Or rather, someone, in this case. What are you three doing out here anyways?"

"Well, we're on our way to find a friend of ours." Gold gives me a glare. What? He _is _our friend.

Or will be, soon enough.

"So, what are _you _doing out here?" Gold counters.

"Oh, you know, just training." He states.

"What? Gym Leaders have to train? Well, I guess that'd make sense, since you _were_ defeated by me~" Oh, just drop it, Gold.

"Hehe, that you did." And stop humoring him, Falkner!

"So, why is a guy as young as yourself a Gym Leader, anyways? I've heard of the other leaders of Johto being much older! The same with some in Kanto. I mean, Blaine's balding!" So Gold's been keeping up to date with the events and people in Kanto, huh?

"Well, it's not like I asked for the job. I wanted it and love it, don't get me wrong, but if I had the choice… I would've never have liked being offered it in the first place."

"Huh? But if you like it so much, why do you wish that you weren't offered the position?" Joey decides to butt in and add a question of his own.

"Before me, the Violet Gym was led by my father. He… went missing, you see, and I was put in charge of it due to me being the only one left related to him. I had to get strong quickly in order to live up to the Gym's reputation." Another emotional backstory? There's been a lot of these lately… Not that I'm getting annoyed by them or I don't care about them. It's just… I'm still not entirely used to meeting people with them. I'm used to meeting people like Gold who have a happy backstory, not people like Blue and Silver.

"Oh… I'm so sorry… I… didn't know…" Joey apologizes.

"It's alright. That happened a while ago, so I've gotten used to the fact. I just wish that someday I'd be able to find him…"

"I'm sure you'll be able to! You just have to keep at your goals, just like I'm keeping at mine!" Yeah, but your goal doesn't really make any sense, considering that Silver didn't really steal from you. And considering that you now understand that Silver has his reasons for taking Totodile.

"Oh? And what are your goals?" Falkner counters.

"My goals are to find this boy that I've been chasing and ask him what his goals are. He stole a Pokémon and he hasn't told me why… He won't tell any of us why!"

"Hm, I see why you're so focused on completing this goal. If a person wouldn't tell me something, no matter how many times I asked, I would-" Falkner is interrupted by a loud "CAW!"

"What's that?!" Gold shouts in surprise.

"It must be what's making the Sunkern so upset… there's no cause for a caw that loud or that irritated." He explains.

"Watch out!" Falkner shoves both of us down, Joey falling to the ground himself, right before a Skarmory swoops down where our heads were just moments ago.

"It's a bird with wings?!" Don't all birds have wings?

"It's a Skarmory, Gold. It's a bird Pokémon with a body made of steel." I inform the boy.

"Exactly. It's a rare breed of bird Pokémon; it's not damaged by Electric attacks like most others."

"But it is damaged by Fire!" Gold sends out Cyndaquil.

I have to give him some credit. He's sending a Fire type to fight a Steel type. That's actually pretty smart of him.

"Alright! Cyndaquil, Ember!" Gold has his Pokémon wait until the Skarmory is almost ready to attack, flying low to the ground, and Cyndaquil sends out little embers towards the bird, scorching its metal wings, doing very little damage, but more-so than if it were his Aipom doing the attacking.

The Skarmory attacks back by picking up even more speed and slashing the mouse with its wings, knocking it halfway across the field – not literally, but close enough.

"You'll pay for that! Give it another Ember!" Cyndaquil turns around and does the same thing, letting loose the embers on the same exact spot as last time, worsening the damage done to that particular spot on the bird's wings.

"Gold, I think we should team up for this one. Cyndaquil's not very powerful, but neither is my Cubone. Lack of training, so it's really my fault for that." I suggest while he's still sending out more Embers.

"Fine! Just help!" I send out Cubone and have him send a Bonemerang towards the bird, knocking it out of the air.

"Show-off…" I hear Gold grumble as he has Cyndaquil launch even more Embers towards the now-grounded bird.

Falkner's just watching us, along with Joey.

"Rage!" It appears as if Cubone has done nothing, but I know better. At least this way if he gets attacked, he'll be better prepared for his own attack.

But I didn't really need to worry about that, did I? The Skarmory continues Steel Winging the poor mouse until he faints.

"Cyndaquil!" Gold shouts, returning the Pokémon.

"Just send out Aipom and let's finish this." Gold does just that and has the monkey use Sand-Attack.

"Not this again…" I hear Joey mumble and hear Falkner chuckle.

"Bonemerang, once more!" Cubone throws its bone at the Skarmory one last time, this one catching it in the head and knocking it out.

"Well, that wasn't too bad, now was it?"

"Speak for yourself. Cyndaquil was knocked out by a bird! How's that to his self-esteem?!" Gold shouts.

"Well, to give him credit, it _was_ a _Steel _bird. It puts the bird in a completely different category than other birds."

"You're hurting his pride even more! Fire's supposed to be strong against Steel…"

"To return his credit, then, he _is _a_ mouse. _Mice don't normally fare well against birds."

"Excuse me, but what are you going to do about the Pokémon?" Falkner interrupts. Right. The Skarmory.

"Gold, since you were really the one who battled it, how about you have it? I don't really have a use for a flying Pokémon, since Dragonair's going to evolve. Eventually… I hope…" It's been such a long time and she _still _hasn't evolved. I wonder if she's ever going to… Same with Cubone, but that's because I haven't really trained him much since I got him.

"Why'd I want a bird Pokémon? It's much more fun walking! And if I really needed to go anyplace far away, couldn't I just have you and your soon-to-be Dragonite fly us around?" I'm not your personal taxi!

"That depends on if Dragonair ever evolves."

"She will. Dragonair just take a long time to do so, that's all. And, if you're not going to be taking the Skarmory… could I have it?" Falkner asks.

"Sure! It's not like any of _us _are gonna catch it, so even if we said no you could just get it once we left!" But I'm not sure Falkner would do something like that.

"Hehe… thanks!" Falkner throws a pokéball towards the unconscious bird, it's enveloped in a flash of red light, and it disappears into the ball, shaking a few times.

"Alright! So, now that that's settled, where were you three headed to?" Falkner asks.

"We were headed for Azalea Town." Gold answers.

"Oh, going to try for the second badge?"

"That, and ask people if they've seen the boy. And if we want to get there before night, we'd better get a move on!" Gold begins running down the hill without waiting for any of us.

"Sorry about that. He's a bit… eccentric." I apologize, running after Gold.

* * *

"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah… when are we gonna get there?" Gold whines.

"Honestly Gold. You can't think that each town is only going to be a day's walk away from each other."

It's been a day since we've left Violet City, and we're still nowhere near Azalea.

"Hey, what are those?" Gold says while pointing in the distance. They look to be some sort of ruins…

The Ruins of Alph? Unown!

It's a really good thing I study maps before I head out on an adventure in a region I've never been to before. Really helps with keeping me, and everyone else, from getting lost. Which Gold's done a couple times before on his own.

"Why don't we check them out?" Gold says enthusiastically.

"Gold, I don't think that it'd be wise to do so." I caution. Gold, why do you think that going to some abandoned ruins that only scholars and researches go to would be a good idea? It's always those kinds of places, the abandoned, religious ones that are the most dangerous. Well, I'm not entirely sure of the Ruins of Alph are religious, but most ruins have something to do with ancient history and religion of some sorts. Rituals and the like

"And why not?" He puts his hands on his hips.

"Because they're ruins. And nothing good ever comes from ruins."

"Ah, you've got to stop reading your books! Nothing's gonna happen! Things like that only happen in bad stories." Bad? I beg to differ.

"Well, if we're killed, I'm blaming you." Joey and I follow behind.

We get to the ruins in a couple minutes to find out that they're much larger than I had expected.

"These ruins are… huge…" Joey comments.

"Yeah! Let's go check them out!" Gold begins running towards one of the old buildings but stops a few feet from the entrance.

"Huh? I think I see someone else…" Oh no… This is why I didn't want to come here. Ruins are usually teeming with ghosts and whatnot, and even if they aren't ghosts, they could be Pokémon Ghosts.

"Hey! It's a guy!" Gold starts running towards the person. Joey and I follow him until the person comes in sight.

Well, at least in real life I can tell what that person is. It took me until I was sixteen to find out that Bugsy's actually a guy. Even watching the anime I wasn't able to tell due to the voice being done by a girl, and the voice sounding like a girl's.

"Hey! You there!" Gold shouts towards the boy.

"Huh?" Bugsy says in his confusion. I'd be confused too if I were out here all by myself and all of a sudden, three guys come out from nowhere.

That sounded wrong.

"What are you doing in a place like this?" I could ask you the same thing, Gold.

"I'm a member of the Relic Expedition in the Johto area. I'm looking for my companions. We came out here in search of something, but all of a sudden we lost contact. I have no idea where they could be!"

"Gold, this is exactly why I told you we shouldn't have come here. I told you bad things always happen at ruins!" I love being right, but I wish I wasn't in this case.

"But his companions are missing! We have to help!" What's up with Gold being so full of justice lately?

"What are you doing here?" I knew I could've asked Gold the same thing.

"Well, we were on our way to Azalea Town, and Gold here just had to stop by and look at the ruins." I explain.

"I guess the ruins can be quite appealing. That's why I joined the expedition in the first place! …Huh?" Bugsy looks past Gold and towards his Aipom that's been following us.

"Aipom? Aipom, no!" Gold dives for his monkey as it begins exploring the ruin walls.

"I guess your Pokémon are just as curious about the ruins as you are!" Bugsy laughs.

"I guess so, hehe… Huh? What's that, Aipom?" Gold bends down and listens to the monkey's chattering.

"Alright." Gold sends out Cyndaquil, to Joey's, Bugsy's, and my, confusion.

"Cyndaquil, I have a favor to ask of you." Cyndaquil gives a squeak in reply.

"Destroy that wall!"

I can't believe he just said that. Even if it _is _Gold.

Is he seriously going to destroy the wall of an ancient ruin? That's just asking for the forgotten spirits that are most likely roaming this place to come and haunt us for destroying their resting place. I'm not really sure if there's any spirits… Unown, I know for sure. They'll probably be the ones trying to haunt us. But, they're not Ghost Pokémon…

Right. Forget about that for now. Gold. Destroying. Wall.

"What are you doing?! You'll ruin Johto's historical site!" You tell him, Bugsy!

"But Aipom heard voices coming from the other side! It could be your companions!"

…What.

I never knew monkeys had that good of a sense of hearing.

"Alright!" Gold congratulates Cyndaquil. Looks like he's broken through.

And he jumps right into the hole.

"So rash…" Bugsy mumbles to himself.

"Trust me, I've been with him for a couple weeks, and this is his normal self. Let's just go see what Aipom's found." Bugsy and I leap in after him, myself being bumped around while landing.

I'm not the most graceful of people.

"It's so dark in here!" Well no duh, Gold. It's the inside of a ruin.

"Looks like you'll be used as a flashlight again, Pikachu." I sigh as I send the mouse out. He lights up his tail and walks over to Gold, flashing the light over the walls.

"W-what…?!" Oh, looks like Bugsy's realized something important.

"These are…" Found something important, to be exact.

"These are it! I didn't expect them to be hidden in a place like this!" Bugsy shouts excitedly, his voice now making me re-question his gender.

"Hey, don't talk to yourself. It's creepy." Hey! I'm not _that _creepy!

"Gold, don't you know what this means?! There's a belief that there's a type of Pokémon called the 'Symbol Pokémon' existed here! Although, no one's seen it before… so it's just that. A belief. A myth. But this is proof!" Bugsy explains.

"Proof? How could writing on a wall be proof? And it's not even using letters!"

Gold really needs to get out more.

"Gold, look at the symbols. Don't they kind of look like letters do you?" I point out one that looks like an A, one that looks like a B, and one that looks like a C. Gold stares at them intently.

"I see what you mean… But what does this have to do with anything?" Did you not listen to what Bugsy just said?

"Gold, these symbols on the wall here… they're not just random symbols placed haphazardly! They could be about the story of the Legendary Pokémon, over 1,500 years ago!" This is what gets my attention. Legendary? Hm… I wonder who he could be talking about? The Dogs or the Birds?

Pretty sure Celebi lives in Ilex Forest. Hm… I wonder if I'll see him/her/it when we get there?

"So? What do Legendary Pokémon have to do with anything?" They kind of have to do with _everything, _Gold. But only I know that. For now, at least. I wonder if I'll ever be able to tell anyone about the truth…

"Gold, these writings, the Legendary Pokémon… it all could be proof that Pokémon coexisted with humans even back then, 1,500 years ago!" Well, from the stories that Mew and Celebi have told me, the Legendary Pokémon and Guardians, the Pokémon and humans… they didn't really get along well back then…

"I know that you're really into this kind of thing, and it's great and all, but shouldn't you be trying to find your companions first? I think their lives are much more important than a historic discovery." Some people would say otherwise, Gold. But I'm surprised that he's actually saying something thoughtful for a change!

"Hehe… you're right. I'm sorry." You don't have to apologize, Bugsy!

"I think I heard the voices coming from over there…" Gold says as he walks towards one end of the hall. Bugsy, Joey, and I begin to walk towards him but are interrupted by a sticky white substance.

Stop right there, mind.

Because currently, we're bound and trapped by some sort of string.

"We must thank you for breaking down the wall, kid." Oh god, not them again. I can practically tell whenever it's them just by hearing the members' voices.

"Thanks to you, we didn't need to solve the puzzle!" Oh… I remember that puzzle! The Kabutops puzzle, I think…

"Now the symbol Pokémon is ours!" But aren't there, like, thousands of them?

"Team Rocket?! I though you guys disbanded three years ago!"

"Not really, Bugsy. They've been following me ever since Red, Blue, Green and I put a stop to them. Why they're after me, I have no idea… Red's the one who did everything! Not me! I'm just the kid who kept getting into Red's way!" Maybe if I play to the 'I didn't contribute anything' thing, they won't chase me anymore?

Not likely, but it's worth a shot.

"You were there at headquarters?" Oh, right… they weren't here for me, they were here for the Unown.

…Dammit.

Why do I always have to give everything away?!

Maybe this is why Mew and Celebi have been telling me over and over that I can't/shouldn't tell anyone about my past.

"Yeah! But I didn't really do much… I kept fainting." This just makes the grunts laugh.

"Haha! I remember you now!" He continues laughing. Not for long…

"But that was three years ago. A lot can happen within three years, can't it?"

"What are you trying to get at?" The grunt says, sobering up.

"Thunder!" Luckily for me, Pikachu was still out of his pokéball and backed against the wall when they tied us up. I seriously don't know how they missed the giant circle of light he was creating… probably due to the torches they brought in, creating a second light source. Oh well. Worked to my advantage.

And so, Pikachu electrocutes the Rocket Members and knocks them to the ground.

"Damn… Pikachu…" One of the grunts pants.

"You're right though… a lot can change in three years… Including the strength of Team Rocket!" A second grunt sends out a Weezing, a third an Electrode, and the first an Elekid. They all stand up while sending out there Pokémon. I have to give the grunts credit; surviving Pikachu's Thunder isn't a feat to go unnoticed.

"Hey! This isn't fair!" Gold shouts, still being tied up and not able to do a thing. Cyndaquil was tied up along with Gold, so his Pokémon isn't able to do anything either.

"Life isn't fair, kid!" Ain't that the truth.

"Elekid, give him a Thunder Punch!" The Elekid begins running towards me, its fists glowing with electricity.

"Pikachu, block the attack!" Pikachu scurries over towards the Elekid, his speed aiding him in reaching me in time, and positions his body in-between the Elekid and me, being hit by the brunt of the blow. Although, since it's an Electric attack, it didn't do much damage, and Pikachu even absorbed some of the electricity that was transferred.

"Payback time!" Pikachu sends another bolt of Thunder, this one hitting the Elekid right next to it, the electricity being so much more powerful than Elekid's usual voltage that it blows the baby Pokémon all the way across the room, crashing into the wall.

I wonder why the grunts don't do team work. One fights me, and when his Pokémon faints, the second joins in. Then, when the second's faints, the third joins in and fights me. Why don't they just all fight at once, making it Three VS. 1?

Not that I don't like it this way. Much easier for me.

The second grunt's Pokémon joins the fight, having his Weezing throw sludge towards Pikachu. The mouse easily dodges the attack, jumping to the side to avoid it, and sends another Thunder towards the floating ball of gas.

…

BOOM!

I really should've thought that through a bit more…

Electricity + Gas = Big explosion

At least it didn't destroy the ruins any further than Gold had done previously. All it damaged was the Pokémon itself, the trainer, and whatever was a few feet around it. Which just so happen to be the Elekid that Pikachu had just knocked out, so it became _really _knocked out, and the Elekid's trainer.

I might feel the need to feel sorry for the grunts, but the feeling passes quickly as I remember how much trouble Team Rocket has given me over the past couple of years.

Funny… I've always thought of Team Rocket as 'not-an-evil-organization' because of how weak they are and what their ulterior motives are. Which I never really understood in the games. I always thought of Magma, Aqua, Galactic, and Plasma as the real evil organizations. So, I find it ironic that the organization that I never saw as an evil organization is the one that's giving me the most trouble.

But then again, I haven't run into the other organizations yet. Which only makes me even more fearful of when I do.

"Honestly, where does Team Rocket even get you guys?" The last remaining grunt looks at me with pure hatred in his eyes. I do have that effect on people.

"Pikachu, one last Thunder." Pikachu sends another bolt towards the Electrode, this time the electricity bouncing off of its round body.

"Hm… looks like that didn't work." The grunt begins to grin.

"Don't give me that look! Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Pikachu brandishes its tail, runs towards the Electrode, does a backflip and slams the now iron-clad tail into the ball's body, cracking it.

"Hm… looks like that did." Now it's my turn to grin.

"You…" He begins.

"Yes, me. Pikachu?" Pikachu launches a second Iron Tail towards the Electrode, deepening and widening the crack, this time…

Splitting Electrode right in two.

Uh…

"…" The grunt says nothing.

"…" Bugsy says nothing.

"…" Gold says nothing.

"…" Joey says nothing."

"…" I say nothing.

"Wha… What…" I…

"El… ec…" I…

"tro…de…?" I…

I don't know how to deal with this right now…

Well, of course an Electrode would have that happen to it if it were hit by a huge steel object, crashing down upon it at who knows what speed. I wonder why he wasn't dead before from all the Self-Destructs grunts have their Electrodes and Voltorbs use.

…That doesn't really help my situation. This grunt could've been different; he could've actually cared about his Pokémon…

Not all bad guys hate Pokémon and want to use them for their own gain.

Think of Team Magma and Aqua, Galactic and Plasma.

Plasma…

Maybe they're right.

No, they are right.

I've been using Pokémon as mere tools to get what I want, to do what I need to have accomplished. Even if it's to stop another person whose goals are even worse than mine, it still doesn't change the fact that I've just been using them all this time.

And now, one's had to pay for it. Because I wanted to defeat the organization of Team Rocket, as well as most, if not all, of its members, Pokémon were hurt. Either from fainting and having to be revived, or…

This…

"You…"

…

"You…"

…

"You monster! You… you killed him! You killed my Pokémon!"

"And what do you call what you're doing? Enslaving Pokémon, stealing Pokémon from rightful trainers?! You actually think you can call someone else a 'monster,' despite what _you've _done?!" I never thought I'd actually hear that come from Gold.

"But I've never _killed _anyone!" The grunt counters.

"What do you think that Team Rocket was doing three years ago?! I heard everything that was happening on the news, so don't try hiding what they did! They were kidnapping Pokémon, enslaving them to do what they forced them to do, for their own gain! Even if you yourself haven't done anything horrible or wrong, then why are you in such an organization?!" He continues to yell.

"Wha…" The grunt's at a loss for words.

"Nothing to say? Well, then listen here. You said that Philippe was a monster for killing your Electrode. Now, while I can't say that he didn't do anything like that, I can say one thing: He's not a monster! You don't know him like I do, or like Joey does. You've only heard of him from Team Rocket, _your _organization! Of course they'd be saying horrible things about him! He's their _enemy._"

"All of the things that they've said about him are wrong. I've heard from him what happened, and I'd believe him much sooner than I'd believe anything a Rocket member would tell me! Philippe's helped me when I've needed it, smacked me around a few times… but only when I deserved it for being an idiot!" Gold…

"...Fine." …What?

"You're right, I joined Team Rocket. You're right, I'm still with them, even though they've done horrible things. But have you ever stopped to consider that I might've had a reason?! Have you ever considered that there could be a cause behind me joining Team Rocket?!" I've always known that people who join the "wrong" team usually have a cause, either because the team's motives and goals match their own, because they were forced to, or because they were tricked…

But, then this guy wouldn't be thinking that he was with the "wrong" team… He'd be thinking that _I'm _on the wrong side, and that _I _have to be defeated…

"Why do I even need to explain myself to you people… He's the one who killed my Pokémon!"

"Is it even yours? Or is it one that Team Rocket gave to you? I know that the organization has to give out _some _Pokémon, otherwise the members would have a much wider variety. I mean, seriously, Koffing, Ekans, Voltorb, Rattata? That's it?" You really shouldn't be talking this way, Gold…

"Guys…" I let out, my throat still partly closed.

"It doesn't matter if it was given to me by Team Rocket or if I had caught it myself; the Pokémon's mine, and you killed it…" The grunt says, pointing towards me again.

"It was… an accident…" I whisper.

"Accident or not, he's dead, and nothing anyone can do will change the fact!"

"But you must've known that being with Team Rocket would put you and your Pokémon into some pretty sticky situations, didn't you? You must've known that you'd be placed into danger more times than not if you were working with a villainous organization. You knew the risks, you took the risks, and you're now facing the consequences of taking said risks. You should be glad that it's not your own life." Gold continues.

"…" The grunt says no more, turns around, and walks out the way he came in, carrying his two unconscious grunt-mates and Electrode with him. Pikachu scurries over to us after he's left, gnaws through the ropes, and frees us all.

"Philippe…" Gold begins, but is interrupted by a wailing coming from behind him.

"Waaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" Joey cries.

"What the…" Gold spins around and looks towards Joey.

"Joey… why are you crying?" He asks.

"I… I… I was so scared!" He continues to wail.

Gold just sighs.

"I… the grunt was… saying all that stuff… Gold… you were… WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

I have no idea of what to do right now… I just killed a Team Rocket member's Pokémon, he stormed out of the place, probably with the intent of someday killing my Pokémon, or even killing me, Gold defended me completely while the Grunt was saying all of that stuff about me…

I never had these kinds of problems back when I was with Red! Although, we were being hunted down by Team Rocket and had almost been killed multiple times… So I guess you could say that we had a different set of problems than I'm having now.

But… what I said earlier… I really meant it. I'm seeing from Team Plasma's point of view now. All humans do is use Pokémon for their own personal gain. Maybe that's why the Legendaries and the Guardians fought all those years ago… The Guardians had their humans enslave Pokémon to do whatever they wanted them to do, and used them against their own creators. Now I see why humans are so bad… Maybe… on this planet… they're even worse than back on Earth. I know that that's saying a lot, but it could be true… couldn't it?

"I'm… going back…" I tell the others. They stop their conversation and turn to me.

"What? Philippe, you can't go back! If you go back out there alone, then Team Rocket would be able to get you!" Bugsy warns me. I don't care…

"If anything happens, then I probably deserved it for what I did."

"Philippe, you didn't do anything. All you did was have Pikachu battle. That's it. I'm actually more surprised at the fact that this is the first time that any Pokémon's died from battling him… With his strength, just one Thunder should be able to kill anything it hits!" Which makes me wonder why no Team Rocket member that's been hit by it has been killed, because I'm almost positive that Pokémon have a higher resistance to attacks like that.

"I know… but…"

"But nothing. Philippe, you battled. That's it. You didn't kill his Pokémon with the intent of killing it, you didn't kill his Pokémon because you wanted to. It was an accident, just like you said. And hopefully the Rocket person will come to his senses and realize that too." Thanks, Gold…

Thanks for trying to make me feel better.

It worked.

Even if only a little bit, it still worked. I guess he's right… it wasn't my fault that his Electrode had died. It was just an accident. Pikachu used Iron Tail to attack it, it cracked, but it wasn't fainted. If I hadn't of attacked again, his Pokémon would've either Self-Destrucuted or attacked back and hurt anyone of us. It's the old saying…

"Kill or be killed."

I really hope it doesn't come down to that again…

"Gold… why did you say those things?" I've never seen him like that before, except with Joey.

"Didn't you hear what I said to Professor Oak? I care about my family, whether they be Pokémon or human. If anyone threatens my family, I fight back. It's almost as if I'm a completely different person when that happens. I can't just stand around while someone says something bad about my family! It's that simple. And Philippe, even though we've only known each other for a few weeks, I've already accepted you as being part of my family. Same with Joey here!" Gold puts an arm around Joey's shoulder and tries to get him to stop crying, to no avail.

"Ah…" He says nervously.

"You really think of me as family?" I ask again.

"Yeah! Why wouldn't I?" Because no one's bothered to before…

"Philippe, let's get out of here. We still have to find Bugsy's companions!" Gold snaps me out of my thoughts.

"You're right… I'm coming." I follow Gold with Pikachu following behind me

"This is like a maze…" Gold comments.

"You're right. I don't know which way is which anymore!" Bugsy shouts in frustration.

"Guys, the walls are moving…" Oh, like they did back on that island with Yellow and I? The Exeggutor moving on that forest, causing us to get lost over and over again.

"He's right. But… it's not the walls that are moving…" Gold points towards the walls. I follow his line of sight and see what he's talking about. The walls themselves aren't moving, but the symbols on the walls are. I guess they're the Unown.

"What's happening?!" Joey cries out. I pull out my PokéDex and point it towards the Unown.

"Unown. The Symbol Pokémon. The symbols on the walls aren't actually symbols at all; they're the Pokémon that everyone's been looking for." I state.

The rest of the symbols begin moving as well, coming off of the walls and sprouting to life. The now-known Unown begin circling around us, moving faster and faster

"What are they doing?!" Gold shouts in fear.

"They probably don't want us disturbing their ruins. This is what I told you _before _we got inside! Nothing good ever happens at the ruins!" There's always some sort of death…

And we've already had one.

"Wait… Did you guys hear anything on the other side of that wall?!" Gold shouts while pointing at said wall he was talking about. All three of us go towards the wall and put our ears against it and hear what Gold heard a couple feet away.

"Someone, help!" We hear someone cry.

"That voice! It's one of my companions!" Bugsy shouts.

"Alright then! Cyndaquil, you know what to do!" Gold sends out his fire mouse once more, commands him to break down the wall, just like he did outside, but the spinning from the Unown keep extinguishing whatever flames he attempts to create.

"Dammit! We have to do something about these Unown!"

"I wonder if it'll work a second time…" I look towards Pikachu.

"Thunder?" Pikachu charges up its electricity, and when he's at his bursting point, lets it all out towards the Unown.

Hopefully the Thunder didn't kill any of them… I'm probably not going to use Pikachu ever again except for a last-resort, but… he wouldn't like that. I guess I just have to deal with things like that happening when they happen. It's never happened before, and I'm amazed that it hasn't. I just… don't know what I'll do if it happens again…

"Philippe, please remind me to never get on your bad side." Gold laughs, rubbing the back of his head.

"Just get Cyndaquil to break down the wall so we can rescue his companions and get out of here. I don't want to be here any longer than necessary." I really have to have a chat with Celebi soon.

"Alright, alright… Cyndaquil! Destroy the wall!" Cyndaquil does exactly what he did outside and breaks down the wall in one blow, the missing companions on the other side in complete shock and confusion.

"W-wha…?!" One of them shouts.

"Oh, you're alright!" Bugsy runs up and hugs them all.

"Of course we're alright!" One shouts.

"But… I heard one of you calling for help on the other side of the wall! I thought something horrible had happened to you!"

"Don't worry about it. We're all fine!"

"Good. Now let's get everyone out of here."

* * *

"Finally! Everyone's out! Thank you so much… without any of you, I wouldn't have been able to rescue them!" Bugsy thanks us all.

"No problem! It's what any person would do!" I don't think you would've done so if we hadn't of been here, Gold…

"And I got to see the legendary Symbol Pokémon! What a discovery!" Of course, after everyone's saved all Bugsy can think about is his discoveries.

"This place might even become a popular tourist attraction!" Uh-oh…

"Bugsy, I don't think the Unown would appreciate that very much… you saw what they did when the four of us went down. What do you think they'd do if hundreds of people went down at once?" Bugsy's face falls at the realization.

"Oh… Well, at least we got to see them!" Yeah, at least we were able to.

"Yeah! Say, you know, it's been fun and all, working with you and saving your companions, but we really ought to be going." Gold says.

"Yes. Because every moment we spend here is a moment Silver's getting farther and farther away." Gold's eyes widen at this fact.

"What?! You're right! Siiiiiiilveeeeeeer!"

* * *

Author's Note:

Alright, because of something that had been pointed out, I'd like to ask this of all of you: If you find something that doesn't seem consistent, or something that goes against something I've already said, could you please point it out to me? PM, Review, whatever. I just want to be able to fix it before it becomes a real problem.


	58. Apricorns and Pokeballs

"You're still upset about what happened? Philippe, you've got to get over it!" But I can't, Gold! You weren't the one who did it…

"Gold, you wouldn't understand…"

"You're right. I don't understand… I don't understand because you won't talk to me! I've been trying to get you to talk all day, but what do I get? Nothing!"

"Please, just let it go."

"I can't let it go if one of my family members is hurting!"

"Gold… you were there and you saw what happened, you saw how I felt, you saw how he felt. That's all you need to know. I'll deal with this myself, ok?" I usually have to deal with things myself, so I'm pretty used to it. And dealing with things is usually me forgetting about them until someone else brings them up. Which, in this case, will be Gold.

"Once we beat the Gym, I'm gonna interrogate you like there's no tomorrow!" Fine, fine. Just leave me alone for now.

Well, we've finally made it to the waterfront slash bridge thing that's just south of the ruins. I wonder how long it'll be before we get to the town and Gold'll start interrogating me…

"Dammit! Not again!" Oh, looks like there's a frustrated fisherman ahead! I wonder what he's angry about. But not enough to go ask him about it. If he's frustrated, he's probably angry. And if he's angry, I don't want to be the one he takes said anger out on.

"Let's go check it out!" Why, Gold? Why can't we just leave the man alone?

"Hey, sir! What's the problem?" Gold shouts out to the man.

"Heh… nothing you kids should be worrying about."

"Hey! We're not kids!" Gold, you're eleven. You're a kid. Even _I'm _a kid. Well, not technically… but still!

"Well, alright. You see, there seems to be this thief that keeps popping up and stealing everyone's pokéballs, just as soon as they fish them out of the water!" Why… _why _did you have to say "thief?"

"Silver must've been here!" Great.

"Silver? Who's Silver? In any case, the thief's a Pokémon, not a human." Hah!

"Oh… Well, maybe I could help out!" Maybe, maybe not. But Gold, this thief's a Pokémon, not a human. It's probably much smarter than most human thieves out there.

"You can try!"

"So, the Pokémon steals the pokéballs as they're fished out, right? In the case, could you fish something out of the water?" You honestly expect him to catch something as soon as he throws his pole in?

"Alright, but you'd better be ready. This thing's quick!" The man tosses the fishing pole into the water and waits for something to hook on. It takes a couple minutes, but eventually something latches onto the hook and he reels it in. As soon as whatever's on the other end of the rod reaches the surface, in less than the blink of an eye it's gone.

"W-what?!" Joey shouts.

"It's here!" Gold takes out his cue stick – again, from where I have no idea. Pokéball maybe? But… how'd he get it out in a split second, then? Oh well…

He takes the stick, attaches a pokéball to the end of it, and launches it towards the fleeing Pokémon. The ball catches the Pokémon in the mouth, smashing into its jaws, and we hear something all the way over here crack. That must've hurt… Great, Gold! You made it mad!

The Granbull – it seems – comes rushing over towards us. This won't end well…

Once it reaches us, it… hands us the pokéball?

What?

"It's… giving the pokéball back?" It seems so, Gold. It seems so.

"Gold… do you think that maybe you might've _fixed _something by hitting its jaw? We heard someone crack back here, but maybe it wasn't you _breaking _its jaw, but rather _fixing _it?" I suggest.

"Maybe you're right! In that case, we'd better let a real doctor take a look at it. How about we get it over to the Pokémon Center?" The fisherman suggests.

"Wait, there's a Pokémon Center nearby?"

"No, but since we're out here, away from a Center, they installed a teleporter nearby. It teleports Pokémon to the nearest Pokémon Center, and once the Pokémon's healed they get sent right back to the same one they were sent from." He explains.

"Too bad the teleporter's currently not working." Comes a new voice.

"Oh, right… dammit! It's been such a long time since I last used it, I kind of forgot. Sorry, kids, but it's… hey, wait a second. Who are you?" The fisherman turns around and is face to face with some guy in a lab coat.

"I'm one of Professor Elm's assistants! I was sent out here to look for this young man right here." He points towards Gold.

"Me? Why… wait…" Gold suddenly realizes that this guy might be here to take Cyndaquil away from him. Poor Gold…

"I'm here to deliver this!" The man pulls an Egg out of his pocket – not the safest place to be storing that, is it? – and hands it to Gold.

"An Egg? Why do you want me to have an Egg?" Gold questions.

"Because we've decided to allow you to keep Cyndaquil in your journey to rescue Totodile! And since we've done that, we'd like to ask a request of you!" The lab coat assistant man explains.

"You're letting me keep Cyndaquil? But… what if he wants to go back? What if he's fine with Totodile being with Silver?" Gold asks.

"Trust me, being around Cyndaquil for so long, I know him perfectly! And trust me, he wants to get Totodile back." The assistant reassures Gold.

"That's… that's great to hear! Thanks!" Gold grabs the Egg and begins running the other way, hopefully towards Azalea.

"Wait! Gold!" The assistant calls after him.

"Let me guess. The Egg's showing no sign of movement, and you think that it'll be different if someone who knows a thing or two about Pokémon carries it around?" The assistant looks at me in shock and slowly nods.

"Yeah, I thought as much. Otherwise you wouldn't be entrusting it to Gold of all people. I knew that you'd have to be desperate enough to do so! Don't worry, I'll explain everything to him. If I can catch him that is!" I shout the last part as I begin running after him.

* * *

"So… hungry…"

"Of course you're hungry, Gold. So am I, and so is Joey. None of us have eaten anything in the past two days!" Normally I eat a little all throughout the day, so this is torture not just to him, but to me, too!

"When do you think we'll hit Azalea?" This has got to be the hundredth time he's asked…

"I don't know. Probably soon; that little water… dock area doesn't seem to be far from town." I really need to get better at describing places.

"That's good. So, which- Hey, what's that?" Gold points to something in the air, and when I follow his pointing I see a tree. With fruit!

"You think it's edible?"

"Gold, if you're asking me if I think it's edible, then you don't know if it's edible. And if you don't know if it's edible, why do you think that it'd be a good idea to try it?!"

"But I'm asking you first! I'm not _that _stupid to try to eat something without knowing if it's edible first!"

"Joey, what do you think?" Hopefully he knows. I know that apricorns are used to make pokéballs, but I don't know if they're edible.

"I don't know; I've never seen anything like it in my life." Oh, great. Now Gold might just die from eating something in-edible.

"Gold, do you really want to risk eating it just because you're hungry?" I question.

"Maybe…" He starts climbing the tree and picks one, studying it carefully.

"Doesn't look poisonous." Since when does anything _look _poisonous?

He takes a bite out of the apricorn.

"Hey, it's not-" And just like that, he spits it out.

"Bleh! What is this?!" You don't know what it is, yet you try eating it anyways. Smart.

"How strange!" A new voice interrupts Gold's spitting out of the apricorn.

"That's an apricorn! You know, this is the first time I've seen anyone try to _eat_ one! You must be really hungry!" Well, of course, little girl!

"You mean it's not edible?" I seriously have nothing to say right now.

"Nope! It's used for making pokéballs!" She explains to the boy.

"You use this to make pokéballs?" Gold stares at the apricorn in confusion.

"Yeah! My grandpa makes all sorts of pokéballs using them! The different colors make different kinds of pokéballs that each have a special ability of their own! You know, he was making one just before I came out to check on the trees!" She checks on the trees? Uh-oh… are we accidentally trespassing on their property?

"Someone was recently here, asking your grandfather to make them a pokéball?" Gold questions the girl.

"Yep! Grandpa said that the boy's really talented!"

"Did this boy happen to have red hair?" I think Gold's as obsessed with Silver as I'm obsessed with Red. Which reminds me… I really have to have a talk with him concerning Joey soon. Maybe when we reach the Pokémon Center and Joey's asleep…

"Yeah! He had a Sneasel with him, too… Hey! Where are you going?" As soon as Gold heard the word "Sneasel," he began running in the direction that the girl came from.

"Gold, do you even know where this girl lives?" I shout to him, causing him to stop.

"Uh…" Is all he manages to get out.

"If you wouldn't mind, could you show us where you grandpa lives? My friend here's been looking for this boy for a while now, and we haven't had any luck in finding him. If he dropped by your grandfather's not long ago, we'd like to ask him if he knows where he was headed." The girl nods and begins leading us to her grandfather's house. It actually isn't that far, maybe a minute or two away from where we were. Which means we were probably trespassing…

"Grandpa! I'm home!" The girl calls out. No response.

"Hm… maybe he's out back for now… oh well! If you guys wanna wait here for him, that'd be fine!" Gold nods and makes himself at home.

"Gold, this isn't your house. Get your feet off the table!" I scold.

"Geez, now you sound like my mother!"

"Well, if I'm not going to, who will?"

"Haha! You two are funny. You, not so much." Ouch. You didn't have say that to Joey!

"He's quiet." Gold tells her.

"Oh well!" The girl continues to the other room of the house, leaving us three alone for the moment.

"So, when do you think the old man will be back? Every second we spend here-"

"Is another second that Silver spends getting farther and farther away from us, we know, we know." I finish for him.

"Would any of you want to eat something that's not an apricorn?" The girl says as she returns from the other room. Probably the kitchen, due to her carrying a plate of what seems to be rice balls. Strangely, I've only had rice balls when I lived with Red.

Oh Arceus… That came out wrong.

Or did it? Who knows?

Anyways, looks like rice balls are an "at home" meal.

"Wow! Thanks!" Gold helps himself and takes three at once. Joey and I each take one, while the girl takes one herself.

"How can we repay you?" Gold asks in-between bites. Well, at least he's trying to be polite.

"Don't worry about it!"

"Say… what were you saying about your grandfather making pokéballs from apricorns earlier?" Joey asks.

"Oh! Yeah. My grandpa uses the apricorns to make pokéballs! There's many different colors of apricorns. There's blue, green, pink, red, yellow, black, and white! Each color makes a different type of pokéball. The color that your friend brought in earlier was black! Grandpa made a heavy ball from it. It's used to catch heavy Pokémon!" Hence, the name.

"Sounds interesting. But still, making a pokéball from a fruit? That's ridiculous!" Gold…

"_Don't make fun of my pokéballs!" _A loud, deep voice booms. Gold falls over backwards from his sitting position from the sound.

"Waaaah!"

"W-who are you?!" Gold shouts.

"This… would be my grandpa." The girl says sheepishly.

"My name's Kurt, and listen here, boy. A long time ago, all the pokéballs were handmade from apricorn by my clan! The pokéballs that are mass-produced in the factories now are simply meant for beginners; my pokéballs are only for those who are qualified!" I really need to ask Celebi more about how pokéballs came into existence, and how his "clan" fits into the story.

"With your standards, I think pokéballs made from factories would suit you best! You two, on the other hand…" He stares at Joey and I.

"I don't know about you two. Tell me, do you think that you're qualified enough?" Do _we_ think that we're qualified enough?

"Don't look at me! I'm fine with my Rattata." Joey says, waving his hands back and forth in front of himself.

"How about you?"

"I'm fine with my Pokémon as well, thank you very much." The old man sighs.

"Of course. The ones who want my pokéballs are the ones who don't deserve them, and the ones who don't want them are the ones who deserve them." He mumbles to himself.

"Hey! What about that guy you just gave one to? You're saying he's deserving but I'm not?!" Great, here we go again…

"That boy is nothing like you, and that is precisely why he's deserving! He's not rash like you, and he certainly isn't rude like you!" He explains.

"Why does everyone keep calling me rash?!"

"You just give off that kind of vibe." Gold glares at me.

"It doesn't matter what anyone says! I'm going to get one of those pokéballs from you! I'll show you they don't need a deserving trainer to use it!" Gold, I think it'd be better if you'd just shut up. You just said yourself that you're not deserving of one of his pokéballs.

"Oh? Is that a bet?" I've learned from T.V. and books to never bet with old people.

"Of course it is!" And he completely ignores my mental warning.

"And what should happen if you lose?" Uh-oh…

"If I lose I'll apologize for making fun of your fruit-balls and become your apprentice for the rest of my life!" Gold, if you end up losing this bet, I'm ditching you.

"Well then, I'll take you up on that bet! Now, choose the type of pokéball you want, go out back and pick the apricorn, and we'll get this bet started."

"What?! You mean I have to pick the apricorn myself?!" Gold, just shut up.

"Of course you do! Now hurry up before it gets dark!"

"Fine, fine… Philippe?" Gold looks at me with puppy-dog eyes.

"I'll help you for now, but if you end up losing, I'm ditching you." I admit.

"Alright! Let's go get us that apricorn!" Gold heads out the door.

"Gold, do you even know which kind of pokéball you want to make yet?" He stops halfway out the door.

"Uh… What types are there again?"

"I'll tell you them as we walk."

* * *

"Blue is Lure, Yellow is Moon, Pink is Love, Red is Level, Black is Heavy, Fast is White, and Friend is Green?" Gold repeats.

"Yes. Now, choose which one you want to make and let's get on with this bet."

"How about the Friend ball?" He suggests.

"Why a Friend ball?" Joey questions.

"Because a friend is the closest thing to a family a person can get, right?" You can be no farther from the truth, Gold.

"Well, if that's your reasoning, so be it. All that really matters is if you're able to catch a Pokémon with it or not." I send out Cubone and have him whack his bone into the tree, shaking down some apricorns.

"Alright, here's a green one. Now let's go back to the old man and have him turn this into a pokéball." We go back from whence we came and hand the apricorn to the man.

"Alright. It'll take an hour or so to make the ball, so come back then." He tells us.

"What are we supposed to do in the meantime? We're in the middle of nowhere!" Gold, so impatient.

"In the middle of nowhere? Where do you think we are?" Uh… Didn't Gold just say that?

"We're not in the middle of nowhere? Then where are we?"

"You're in Azalea Town!" Well, looks like we're in Azalea Town!

…No idea how I could've missed that.

"What?!" Gold rushes to the front door this time and looks outside.

"Philippe, he's telling the truth! We're finally in Azalea! That means I can challenge the Gym!" The old man's eyes widen ever so slightly at this.

"You're challenging the Gyms? Well, I only wish you luck. With your rash personality, you should be careful."

"Stop calling me rash!" But that you are, Gold. That you are.

"Come on, let's just go challenge the Gym and get back here so you can complete your bet." Gold follows me out the front door, as well as Joey, and we head to the Pokémon Center to heal up.

"It's been a while since I was last in one of these, Gold. Even though that was only a few days ago…" Travelling makes everything seem so much longer than it actually is. It could've been only two days, yet if we had travelled both days, it could feel like five!

We hand our pokéballs to Nurse Joy and she takes them out back.

"Philippe?" Joey questions.

"Mhm?"

"Did you ever think that you'd be here?" A strange, question, but ok?

"What do you mean 'here?'"

"I mean, here, with us. You were travelling all of Kanto with Red, Green, and Blue, yet here you are, in Johto, with two complete strangers. Why didn't you stay back with them?" Oh, right. I never told them the reason I came to Johto…

"I've been meaning to ask you the same question! Why'd you come to this region?" Gold questions as well.

"Hehe… Well, back in Kanto, during the entire thing with Team Rocket, I was always the one having to be rescued. If something was too overwhelming, I'd pass out and be completely useless. Red would have to carry me and protect me while I was overwhelmed, or Blue would, or Green would." I begin to explain.

"And that brought you here, because…?"

"Because I wanted to get stronger. I knew that if I wanted to be anywhere near as good, and as strong, as Red and the others, that I'd have to leave them. I'd have to train on my own, without their help and without their guidance. I'd have to learn my own pattern, my own techniques, and my own tactics to be able to survive on my own. I can't always look towards them for help whenever I need it… I have to be able to fend for myself."

"Yet you're with us!" Joey exclaims.

"Yes, I'm with you. And that's partially a good thing. I have to keep an eye out on you two, too. I have to make sure that you don't get in a situation that overwhelms you, Joey, and I have to make sure that you don't get yourself killed, Gold." Gold pouts.

"I wouldn't get myself killed!"

"That's what I say when I almost get myself killed, and that's what Red says when he almost gets himself killed. You never know if you're going to die because of something until it's too late. You can never take back your actions. You have to always be prepared and always be ready for the worst. Which is another reason I left on my own."

"Your Pokémon are ready." Nurse Joy says as she comes back from behind the counter. Gold, Joey, and I pick up our Pokémon and head out.

As we walk out of the Pokémon Center, I realize something… Gold completely forgot to bring up what happened at the Ruins of Alph! I'm lucky for that.

But I'm not lucky because I brought it up to myself. Dammit!

"So, where's the Gym?" I pull out my trusty map and show Gold where the Gym is. We follow the route and end up outside of the building a couple minutes later, and enter.

"So, this Gym's supposed to be a Bug-Typed one, right?" Gold asks.

"Exactly. So, Cyndaquil should be your best bet."

I wonder what Gold will think when he realizes that Bugsy's the leader of this Gym. Well, he should at least have the idea that Bugsy could be the Gym Leader. I mean, _Bug_-Type Gym, _Bug_sy.

How much more obvious could it get?

"Oh! It's you three again!" We hear a familiar voice call from the darkness of the Gym. As soon as the voice speaks up, fireflies begin to light up the entire arena. Looks like some Gyms actually go along with their typing!

"W-what?!" Gold gasps as he realizes who the voice belongs to. Joey just stares in silence, his mouth opening slightly.

"Gold, you didn't know that Bugsy was the Gym Leader?"

"Of course not! Did you?" Gold asks back.

"Obviously. I, for one, actually take the time to research these things before charging in headfirst." Bugsy laughs at our small fight.

"You two are just as funny as ever! So, Gold, you're here for a Gym Battle?"

"Yeah! And don't think that just because we're friends that I'm gonna go easy on you!" Gold already considers him a friend? Wow, he sure uses the term lightly. At least, much lighter than I do.

"I wouldn't expect anything else!" And with that, the battle begins. Bugsy sends out his first Pokémon, Metapod, and Gold sends out the obvious choice: Cyndaquil.

"Metapod, Tackle!" Well, this is a first. A Metapod slash Kakuna that doesn't only know Harden! The cocoon throws itself towards Cyndaquil and knocks it to the side, but other than that, not much damage was done.

"Ember!" Cyndaquil blows a small flame towards the Metapod, catching it on fire immediately.

"Harden!" The Metapod's armor shines as it hardens, and as it hardens the flames die down.

"Dammit! Even more heat, Cyndaquil!" Cyndaquil does the same thing as before, although this time the flames on its back glow a brighter red. The Metapod catches on fire once more.

"Harden!" Are we gonna have a harden spam this time? Oh well… Same exact thing happens: Metapod's armor shines, it hardens, and the flames die down.

"Cyndaquil, put as much heat into the next attack as you can!" Cyndaquil brings itself back and readies its next attack. One second passes, the flames grow brighter. Another second passes, the flames grow even brighter. A third, the flames turn white. A fourth, the flames grow even brighter. A fifth… the flames turn blue.

"W…what?" Gold says in shock. I'd be if I were in his place, too.

Hell, I'm not even in his place and I'm shocked!

I never knew that Pokémon could push themselves that much to be able to change the color of their natural flames. They'll probably go back to being red once Cyndaquil uses the attack, though.

A ninth second passes, and Cyndaquil's flames are still increasing in size.

A tenth second, and Cyndaquil's body begins to glow.

Now Gold just stares at his Pokémon like an idiot.

"What's happening?!"

"Gold, this is what we call 'Evolution.' Your Cyndaquil's gonna be a Quilava!" I exclaim.

"A… Quilava?" He asks, still stupidly.

"Yes, a Quilava. As in, you've pretty much won this battle already. Well… that all depends on Bugsy's last Pokémon. A Gym Leader's last Pokémon is usually their strongest." Bugsy nods.

"Alright! Cynda- Uh… Quilava! Flamethrower!" Gold's guessing that Quilava's learned some new moves after evolving…

And he's right! Which is strange, because I thought that Quilava wasn't supposed to learn Flamethower until after it evolves into Typhlosion…

And Quilava learning Flamethrower isn't the only thing that's surprising. There's something much more surprising. Even though Quilava isn't readying its attack anymore, being interrupted by the evolution…

Its flames are still blue.

The Quilava opens its mouth, takes in as much air as possible, and then blows out blue flames, surrounding the Metapod. The flames scorch and burn Metapod's armor upon contact, burning the bug to a crisp.

"Uh…" Gold starts.

"Don't worry about it! Metapod's fine. He'll just need to shed after this battle." Good thing Gold didn't wind up like me inside the ruins. Oh, dammit! I'm supposed to have forgotten slash gotten over that! Oh well… My mind wandering can sometimes be a good thing, but it can also sometimes be a bad thing. Well, it wasn't really wandering, since Metapod "dying" and the Electrode "dying" are really related, in a sense. So I guess-

And there my mind goes, wandering again.

Back to the battle!

So, Bugsy returns Metapod to its pokéball and sends out his second bug, Kakuna. Same thing happens. Quilava uses Flamethrower, the armor is scorched and burned, Bugsy returns it, and sends out his last Pokémon.

Scyther.

I wonder how Quilava will do against a fast bug…

Bugsy takes his pokéball and throws it, and out pops…

Not-Scyther?

Not Scyther, but instead… a Scizor!

Which actually makes Gold's life a lot easier.

Fire is x2 to Grass, Fire is x2 to Steel. Fire is x4 to Grass/Steel.

"Quilava, Flamethrower!" Quilava breathes its flames once again, except this time Scizor flies all over the place, dodging the flames and confusing Quilava.

"Where'd he go?!" Gold shouts to himself.

"Focus, Gold! What's one of the most annoying characteristics of a bug?" I only hope he can think of it.

"The… bites?"

"No! Listen!" Time's running out, so I give it to him.

"Ah…!" Gold shuts his eyes and begins to listen for the beating of Scizor's wings.

"To my left!" Gold shouts as he hears something. Quilava blows some flames towards Gold's left side, burning him a bit, but most of the flames catch on Scizor himself. Scizor's still flitting about, but now it's one huge torch, easily visible and scaring off all the fireflies that were lighting the room. Well, we don't need them anymore, now do we?

After a dozen seconds or so the flames die out and Scizor falls to the ground.

"That was… quite a show, Gold!" Gold is now coming to a realization of what had just happened and is now jumping up and down with joy.

"You evolved! You evolved!" I think I was this giddy, maybe more, when my first Pokémon evolved. At least on the inside.

"Yes, he evolved, and you've won yourself an Insect Badge!" Bugsy pulls out a badge from a case and hands it to Gold, him then placing it into his own badge case.

"Alright! Only six more!" Yeah, "only."

"So, think the old man has the pokéball ready?" Gold asks once we exit the Gym.

"Probably. He said it'd take around an hour. How long do you think your fight lasted?"

"Maybe twenty minutes? But that'd mean that he wouldn't be done by now…"

"Don't worry, Gold. It took us a good ten or fifteen to get here, and it'll take a good ten or fifteen to get back as well. He should be done by the time we get back." I reassure him.

"Alright! Let's go!"

* * *

When we make it back to Kurt's house, it turns out he _was _finished and waiting for us after all.

"So, I've made the Friend ball you asked. Now let's see you catch something with it!"

"Alright, old man! You're on!" Gold takes the ball from his hand and runs out the back door.

"Again, he's a bit eccentric." And I follow after him.

"Gold, do you even know where you're going?" I shout after him.

"Nope! But that doesn't matter, does it?" It actually does.

"Umm… excuse me?" We hear a tiny voice call out from behind us. We turn around and see Kurt's granddaughter standing in the doorway.

"Yeah? What is it?" Gold calls out.

"My grandfather said he made you guys a Friend ball. I've been asking him to make me a Friend ball for a long time now, but he hasn't. He said that I'm not ready to go out and catch Pokémon yet. He said that even if I was, that I should start out with the factory made pokéballs first, just until I'm ready to use the ones that he makes. So, I was wondering… could I go with you?" She explains.

"Sure!" What.

"Gold, did you not hear a word this girl said? Her grandfather said that she's not ready. I mean, how old could she be?" I say.

"I'm seven!" Exactly.

"Most people get their first Pokémon at ten, not seven."

"That's to battle. Most people live with Pokémon their entire life so when it's their turn to get their very own, they're ready! You can come with us!" And I'm completely ignored.

"So, which Pokémon did you have in mind?" Gold asks the girl.

"Well, there's supposed to be a specific Pokémon that I want on that mountain, but grandpa says that it's too dangerous for someone like me to go there… He says that not even he would dare go there!" She says as she points towards a large mountain in the background.

"Great. More walking…" Gold groans.

"You're the one who said she could come with us." I remind him.

"Yeah, yeah… Let's get started."

And get started we do. It takes a good hour, maybe, to get there, but we eventually reach the mountain.

"Why did the mountain you choose have to be so far away?" Gold whines.

"I didn't choose the mountain; this is where the Pokémon I want is!"

Wait… I think I remember this part!

Think… think…

Oh, yeah!

Teddiursa! That's the Pokémon the girl wants! But, don't we get ambushed…?

And if we _do _get ambushed, even if I hadn't read the manga at all, I probably would've still guessed that it'd be by an Ursaring. Because that's how our luck goes.

"So, what Pokémon are you looking for here?" Joey speaks up.

"It's a cute little bear! It's a Teddiursa!" Ha! I was right!

I just hope I'm wrong about the Ursaring.

Gold pulls out his PokéDex and looks up Teddiursa. Since he's able to find information on it, I'm guessing that either Crystal has already gotten her PokéDex from Professor Oak, or that one of the four – probably Blue, if anyone – from Kanto are here in Johto. I wonder if I'll run into them if they are…

"This is the thing you want? Doesn't look so hard to catch… Alright! Let's start looking!"

It isn't even five minutes before we find the bear.

"There it is!" Joey shouts while pointing.

"Joey, don't shout! You'll scare it away!"

"Sorry…"

"Alright. Now, let's approach it quietly. I'll go, since it's my ball and my bet." Gold slowly creeps up on the Teddiursa, going inch by inch, until he's almost close enough to be able to throw his pokéball…

And we hear a roar.

Just.

Our.

Luck.

And guess who produced said roar? An Ursaring.

Why do I have to be right all the time? _Why?_

"Wah! What's that?!" Gold shouts as he falls backwards.

"It's Ursaring, Gold! Teddiursa's evolved form!"

"What?! That thing evolves into that thing?!" Gold shouts some more while pointing towards the two Pokémon.

"Why didn't you tell me this thing had a parent?!" Gold shouts, now while running.

"Because I didn't think it had a mom this close-by!" The girl shouts while following behind Gold. Wow, a lot of shouting, isn't there?

Joey and I follow behind the two, the Ursaring chasing closely behind us.

We run for a minute until I bump into Joey who bumped into the girl who bumped into Gold, who bumped into a boy. And that boy is…

"Move outta the way!"

Gold, why do you never pay attention?

"Gold, isn't this the person you were looking for?" Gold takes a double take at the boy and realizes who it is.

"You!" Gold looks at his hands.

"So it _was _you!"

"What are you talking about?" Silver asks, annoyed.

"Guys, I think we should continue running!" Joey shouts, all panicky and such.

"He's right. If you guys haven't noticed, there's an Ursaring that's almost caught up with us!" Both Joey and I don't wait for the rest to start running and we start running ourselves. The others eventually notice how close the Ursaring is and begin to run with us.

"Hey, Silver, what kind of ball is that?" I call out while running.

"…" Silence. Great.

"Fine, fine, you don't have to tell me. I already knew, anyways. Just wanted to see if I could get anything out of you." I really sounded like Gold there, didn't I?

Which is bad. Really, really bad. I don't want to end up as perverted as him!

"Alright, so, Gold has a Friend ball for Teddiursa, and Silver has a Heavy ball for the Ursaring. How about you two work together again, take them both down, and catch what you both came here for before we all get killed? Okay? Ok." Gold stares at Silver with an annoyed look; same with Silver.

"Fine." They both say simultaneously.

"Great. Gold, Quilava. Silver, whatever you want to use." Gold sends out his newly evolved Quilava and Silver sends out his trusty Sneasel.

"Quilava, Flamethrower!" Quilava blows blue flames towards the Ursaring and its fur is scorched, but not much damage is done to the actual Pokémon. Just the fur. But that seems to have done something to its self-esteem.

Maybe. Because the Ursaring is now just angry. Or, that could just be because it's part bear, and bears usually get angry when someone annoys them or endangers them.

Or their young. Because Teddiursa was also scorched.

This is bad. Very, very bad…

"Gold! You weren't supposed to hit the baby!" I shout at him.

"Well _excuuuuuuuse _me!"

The Ursaring ignores our argument and rushes towards Gold.

"Ice Punch." Silver's Sneasel rushes up to the Ursaring who is rushing up to Gold and launches an Ice Punch at its claw, freezing it in mid-air just inches away from Gold's head. Nice going, Silver! You saved your future boyfriend! You earned serious points for that!

"Watch what you're doing, idiot!" Aaannnddd there they go.

"Why don't youstop worrying about me and watch what _you're _doing?!" Gold, Ursaring right in front of you!

"Quilava, another Flamethrower!" I hope he's not like Red is with Razor Leaf. Although, Flamethrower's much more effective than the leaves were, so it isn't entirely bad.

The flames scorch the fur even further, now leaving black spots on the skin where the fur was completely burned off. That Ursaring has some tough fur, and skin, to be able to withstand blue flames.

"Great! One more, and this time-" Gold's cut off by a whoosing noise.

"What?!" Gold jumps back and dodges a bullet. Well, not literally. More of a speeding Teddiursa. Its head was aimed straight for Gold's, aimed to knock him out.

"Where did that come from?!"

"You forgot about the baby, didn't you, Gold? Even though it's a baby, it's still a Pokémon, and therefore, can still fight!" I remind him.

"Great, now we have two to deal with? Why don't you help?!" Gold shouts.

"Fine, fine. I'll help with the Ursaring. You two take care of the Teddiursa." I send out Pikachu, catching the Ursaring's attention, and he comes charging at my mouse.

"Pikachu, Thunder!" Pikachu sends a bolt of electricity through the air, straight towards the Ursaring. The Ursaring is hit dead-on, but is still charging through to us. Looks like the adrenaline's got him able to withstand… however many volts is in a Thunder.

"Dodge to the left!" Pikachu jumps to the left, almost being hit by the rampaging Ursaring.

"Try another one!" Pikachu sends out another Thunder, this one seeming to have done a little, but not much. Wow… if I wasn't here, I'm scared to think what would've happened to Gold and Silver. I mean, not even Pikachu can do much to this thing!

The Ursaring continues to charge, this time lifting one of its claws in preparation to attack.

"Double Team!" Pikachu not just doubles itself, but makes ten different copies of itself, all surrounding the Ursaring. Ursaring looks from one, to another, to another, to another, and back to the first one, not sure which one of the ten is the real one. He then begins to slash at each one of them, one at a time.

"Into the air and give it an Iron Tail!" I know what happened last time, but… This Ursaring's survived not only one, but _two _Thunders. It should be able to survive an Iron Tail as well. Hopefully knock it out as well!

I decide to take a few seconds to look to see how Gold and Silver are faring. Surprisingly… not well. I guess the Teddiursa's just as strong in comparison to the Ursaring. That is, stronger than a normal one. Teddiursa's giving both Quilava and Sneasel a hard time. Why don't they just use the combo they did back on the iron ball in the Sprout Tower? Fire plus Ice!

I my attention back towards my fight to see that Pikachu's landed an Iron Tail right on top of Ursaring's head, causing it to become dizzy and wobble about.

"Silver! Throw the Heavy ball!" I shout. Silver looks over and sees the Ursaring, readies his ball, and throws it. The Ursaring is enveloped in a familiar red light, is absorbed into the ball, the ball shakes a bit, then grows still.

"Alright, Gold, finish the Teddiursa and catch it!"

"Flamethrower, one last time!" Quilava sends another wave of fire towards the bear, burning its already burned slash scorched fur. The Teddiursa begins to wobble about, just like its father slash mother did moments ago, although this time it's from pain instead of dizziness.

"Throw the ball and let's get this over with!" Gold does just that and the same thing that happened with Silver happens to him.

"Alright!" Gold goes to give the little girl her new Pokémon and I walk over to Silver who's currently trying to sneak away.

"Going somewhere?" I ask.

"What do you want?" Ouch, harsh.

"I just wanted to ask why you're always in such a rush to get out of here whenever everything's done. Is that so bad?"

"Yes." Antisocial, much?

"You know, you're nothing like Blue at all." Silver's eyes widen slightly at the name.

"You know Blue?" He asks.

"Of course I do! She's the one who told me about you!" Silver's eyes widen even further.

"She… told you… about me…?"

"Yep! I mean, I did save the world with her. Twice!" Silver's eyes widen even further that I think that if they widen anymore, his eyeballs will fall right out.

"Wait… _you're _the one she's been talking about saving the world with her? I thought you were just another one of her pairings…" Aww, how sweet! Blue's been telling Silver about me! More than just the "Uke" thing, hopefully.

"I guess so, if it's not Red or Green."

"Interesting…" He mumbles to himself.

"So, could you please answer me? Why are you in such a rush to leave?"

"I don't want to spend a second more than I have to around that guy." Silver points towards Gold who's still talking with the girl.

"Why? He's not that bad once you get to know him. Still an idiot in some ways, but he's naturally that way. You learn to get used to it."

"I'd never get to used someone as reckless as that." You'll have to learn eventually, Silver, because I swear on my life that I'll get you two together!

..Well, maybe not on my life. But still!

"Just give him a chance, Silver. I'm sure that he'd stop hating you as much as you hate him if you'd just do that. Who knows? Maybe you two could become friends?" Or more, but I don't say that.

"I don't think so."

"Just give him a chance the next time we meet, ok?"

"How are you so sure that we'll meet again?" I just am, Silver. I just am.

"Fine. _If _we meet again. Will you promise me that?" Silver pauses for a moment before responding.

"…Fine."

"Great! That's all I want. Now, if you want to leave before Gold notices that you're gone, you'd better hurry." Silver quickly turns around and disappears into the various rocks of the mountain, Sneasel following closely behind him.

"Hey, Philippe! Where'd Silver go?" Gold shouts.

"He had to leave."

"What?! You let him get away?! Why?!" Gold shouts some more.

"Because he had to be somewhere. And don't you have to be somewhere, too? Did you forget about the bet already?"

"Oh! The bet! That's right!"

* * *

"So, I see you've managed to actually catch something! I have to say: I'm quite impressed."

"Obviously I was able to catch something! I mean, I _am _the great Gold!" I wouldn't say great…

"You're something, alright…" Kurt says, low enough that only I and Joey can hear.

"So, now what do we do, Gold?" I ask.

"It's getting late. How about you three stay here for the night? I think that'd make us even." Kurt suggests.

"Yeah! Stay with us! Teddiursa would like that!" His granddaughter says, holding the bear tight.

"Alright! We'll take you up on that offer!"

* * *

Author's Note:

Another milestone today: 250,000 words! Ah... it feels like only yesterday that I started writing this thing. Which, in just fifteen days, will actually be a year! Which is extremely shocking to me. Anywaaaaays... Read & Review, pleaaaaaase.


	59. Enter the Masked Man

"So, will you tell me what stopped the war this time?"

"No."

"Why not? You told me that you'd save it for another time!"

"I said that I'd save it for another time. I didn't say that I'd save it for _next_ time!"

Celebi can be really annoying when he/she/it wants to.

"Why won't you tell me now?"

"Because then that'd be rushing things! Didn't I already tell you that? We're almost to the end of the history of things, and if I were to tell you the rest of it now, what would we talk about then?"

"We'd talk about what we always talk about whenever you won't tell me anything else; me and what's going on!"

"Speaking of that… is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Lots. But, most of it I've probably forgotten… So I'll start with most recent events."

"Alright. Go ahead."

"First off… Electrode."

"Ah, yes… Electrode. You handled that quite well, if I might say so myself."

"You never told me that Pokémon could die… no one did, not even Mew."

"I thought it was obvious? Every living thing can die."

"Even you?"

"Hehe… it requires special circumstances, but yes, even us."

"And you won't be telling me what those circumstances are, will you?"

"Nope!"

"Alright then. I'd like you to answer this as truthfully as you can. Will the person whose Electrode I killed be coming after me in the future for revenge?"

"I can't answer that. Like I said, I'm the Time Travel Pokémon, not the Time Pokémon. I can't tell the future or anything of the sort."

"Alright. Next question. Gold. Badges. What's up with that?"

"Gold and his badge collecting. That's something that was altered by you being with Red, and here, in Johto and with Gold. Because you were with Red and you helped him earn all eight badges, as well as win the Championship, Gold's thinking that you could help him do the same. Or, that's what I'm guessing, anyways. I can't read minds; only Mew can do that. And even then it's only with you."

"Alright, so… is Silver or Crystal going to be any different?"

"Well, that depends. You've already gotten Silver to agree to giving Gold a chance the next time you see him, even though Silver's already expressed his hatred, or annoyance, of Gold, and that he'd rather not have anything to do with him whatsoever. So, that's already a huge change! And Crystal… you'll just have to see when you meet up with her."

"Alright. So, we've gone over the Electrode and Badges already… Those two are really the only things I can remember."

"How about I bring up some things I know that you'd be dying to know if you ever came around to thinking about them?"

"Alright. Your turn then, I guess."

"Very well! First thing's first. I know that you haven't been thinking about it for a long time, because you have been in lack of it, but isn't there a certain white substance that's been absent from your life ever since you came here?"

"Oh, Arceus. Celebi, I never thought you'd be as bad as Gold!"

"What?! Oh… Arceus, no! I'm not talking about that! _You're _the perverted one here! I was talking about snow!"

…Oh

"Right… Snow… And the lack of a winter here, right? Yeah, why is that?"

"It's because there's no real 'season' here. There are winter holidays, such as Valentine's Day and Christmas… well, a holiday that resembles your Christmas. All about giving presents and whatnot. Anyways, there are no real seasons. Each region and each area in each region has a set climate, a set temperature, and a set weather… pattern… thing. Cinnabar Island will forever be a scorching volcano, with no winter whatsoever. It's hot year round, with no snow. As such, Snowpoint City, by the name, is forever buried under snow. It never has a summer, it never has any temperature above freezing. So, the first time you see snow will be when you get to a town with it."

That makes… sense… I guess…?

"Just believe me and let's move on. Ok… so! Second thing. I bet you've been wondering about Pokémon from other 'generations' and regions, right?"

"Yeah! I had planned on asking Mew that a while ago, but I kept forgetting because of everything that was happening… Am I going to run into a Pokémon from Sinnoh here? Or a Pokémon from Unova? Or even Hoenn?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Most Pokémon like to live in their own regions, which is why you rarely see a wild Pokémon not from that region in another region. You never see wild Phanpy in Kanto because their home region is Johto."

"But… what about games like LeafGreen and HeartGold? In those games, you can catch Pokémon from other regions in the game's region!"

"That's just it. In those _games, _you can catch Pokémon from other regions in the _game's _region. They're games. Even in the show, these rules don't apply. But the game and the show aren't real. _This _is real. _This _is real life. And in real life, Pokémon like to stick to their own regions. But, that doesn't mean that some Pokémon don't wander from their own regions and go to visit another one… It just means that entire herds and species don't migrate to other regions. Maybe one or two, on rare occasions, go to visit another region on accident, but… yeah. Not in large numbers."

I'll find it so funny if I find a Pokémon from Unova – maybe a Munna – in Johto. Or even a Pokémon from a region that hasn't even been discovered yet! I know that Pokémon was on its fifth generation when I came here… maybe I'll find a Pokémon from the sixth that not even people on Earth know about?

"I think that's it, really. There's nothing else that I can think of at the moment that'd be of any interest to you."

"Oh! I just thought of something!"

"You have? Well, tell it to me!"

"Is Gold going to end up with Silver, or Joey?"

"…What?"

"That's my question! Because I know that most people believe that Gold will be with Silver, but with the way he's been acting around, and with, Joey… I don't know any more! I've been trying to get Silver to tolerate Gold, and I've been making progress, but if Gold's going to keep at it with Joey, then all of my work will have been for nothing!"

"That's… something you're going to have to work out with him yourself. I can't get involved with that."

I really think that Celebi's lying at this point. Don't Gods always love meddling with their creations? Although, that'd be the Guardians… I wonder if I've met any already? Oh well.

"Fine, fine. Wake me up so I can go have a chat with Gold about all this."

"May Arceus have mercy on his soul."

* * *

"Gold…"

"Mhm…"

"Gold…"

"Mhm…"

"Gold, wake up!"

"Just… five more minutes…"

Three.

Two.

One.

SLAP!

Well, that got him awake. And on the floor. The slap caused him to wake up suddenly, so suddenly that he rolled off the bed and onto the floor.

"W-what?!" He shouts.

"Shh! Joey's still sleeping."

"Then why'd you wake me up?!" He whispers angrily.

"_Because _he's asleep. I have something I want to ask you without Joey being able to hear."

"It better be important…" He grumbles.

"It is. Gold… why did you say those things to Joey a couple days ago?"

"What things?" Stop playing stupid.

"When you comforted him, the same day I comforted him in the morning. Why'd you do that?"

"Didn't I say that it's because we're a family? Family members don't let other family members hurt, especially if they can stop it. So, that's what I did. I stopped it."

"That can't be the only reason." I stare him down until he gives in.

"Fine, fine, it's not the only reason."

Several silence-filled moments later.

"Then what _is _the reason?"

"Does there have to be another one?"

"You already said that it's not the only reason, therefore, there's another reason."

"Oh. Dammit." Got you there, Gold.

"Exactly. So, just tell me what that other reason was."

"Well… Hehe… Do you promise not to slap me?" I think I'm going to regret this, but…

"Fine. I promise not to slap you because of what you say. Unless I feel you deserve to be slapped."

"Then I'm gonna be slapped either way!"

"Well, in that case, even if you don't tell me I'll slap you. So, better off telling me what it is, just in case I think that it's a reason that _doesn't _warrant me slapping you."

"Well, I told him because I thought that if I helped him get through what he was going through…" Gold pauses mid-sentence.

"Yes, and?"

"It's… kind of awkward. Talking about it and all."

"Just go ahead and finish."

"I thought that if I helped him get through it, it'd get him into me."

That could be taken so many different ways. And knowing Gold… yeah.

"What do you mean… 'into you'?"

"You know, interested in me."

"Interested in you… how?"

"You know me too well." Gold laughs nervously.

"Gold… into you how?"

"Uh… that way, I guess."

"What way?"

"What way do you think I'd be talking about?" I really don't want to guess, because I'm scared that I might be right.

"Just tell me yourself in what way you want Joey to get into you."

"You really want me to say it, don't you?"

"That's what I've been trying to get at for the past couple of minutes, isn't it?"

"Fine, fine… I want to see if I can get him in bed."

Three…

"Philippe?"

Two…

"Philippe… you're starting to scare me now…"

One…

"Philippe?!"

SLAP!

"Owwwwwwww!" He cries out.

Well, at least it confirms that he is indeed trying to get into Joey's pants, or Joey into his. I feel both glad and upset with that knowledge. Glad because it means that Gold doesn't really like Joey, and that he could still find feelings for Silver once he gets to know him better, but upset because… what if Joey really has feelings for Gold? I haven't spoken to him about Gold and how he's been acting towards him, and how he feels about it… looks like I'll be having to have another one-on-one chat later on. This time, with Joey.

Now, while I was thinking to myself, Joey had woken up and had started talking with Gold. I wonder if Gold's saying anything related to the conversation we just had… Is he trying to win Joey over some more? Or is he apologizing…

Gold? Apologizing? Never!

"Philippe? You've been kind of dazed there. Are you alright?" Joey asks, snapping me out of said daze.

"Yeah, I'm fine… Just thinking about something."

"We were talking about where to head next to look for Silver. Since you just so happen to somehow always know where he is at every turn, how about you give us an idea as to where we should go?" Gold asks.

"Alright. Well, it's common sense, really. At least this time it is. Since we're in Azalea, and the only two routes out of the town are east and west, and since we came in from the east… the only logical answer would be to head west towards Goldenrod." And the third Gym. And that she-devil of a Leader. And her demon of a Pokémon. I wonder how Gold will do against Miltank…

"So to get to Goldenrod… where do we go from here?" Joey asks.

"Didn't I just say west?"

"I know, but I mean, exactly what's to the west of us?" I look back to the map and see…

Ilex Forest.

Ilex… the home of Celebi. I wonder if I'll see him/her/it there? Probably, since it _is _its home, after all.

"Ilex Forest. That's what lies to the west of Azalea Town. So, I guess that's where we're headed."

"Alright! Onto Ilex Forest!"

Gold, Joey, and I all head out of the old man's house, not waiting for him to get back. I do leave him a note, though. Just to let him know that we've gone, and to thank him for letting us stay at his house for the night instead of at a crowded Pokémon Center. Not that I don't like staying there… it has a safe feeling to it. Probably because of all the nurses there.

We make it to the west entrance of town and head out, walking for just a few short minutes until we reach the entrance to the forest. Wow. That was shorter than I expected.

"So, we're already here? That's a nice break from all the walking we had to do to get to Azalea in the first place." I have to agree with you there, Joey.

"But that doesn't mean that we're not going to have a long way to go after we get to the other side of the forest. It also doesn't mean that we're not going to have to spend a lot of time _in _the forest just to get to the other side!" I hate to be a downer, but it's the truth.

"Let's just hurry up! Silver's getting away with-"

"Every second we spend standing around doing nothing." Both Joey and I say simultaneously.

We walk in silence as we enter the forest.

"So… we just keep heading straight?" Joey eventually breaks the silence.

"I guess so… there seems to be an already-made path here for us to take. I'm guessing that there's a person – or people – who take the path from Azalea to Goldenrod so often that they've created a natural path." I explain.

"Silver…" Gold mumbles to himself.

"What about him?"

"He didn't even say thank you for us helping him capture that Ursaring!" Gold shouts in frustration.

"Gold, I really think that he would've been able to somehow catch him on his own. Also, _I _was the one who helped him catch Ursaring. _He_ was the one who helped _you _catch Teddiursa." This shuts him up for a bit.

We walk for a couple minutes until this time it's Gold who breaks the silence.

"Uh… Philippe?" Gold speaks up.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"I think we're lost."

"Why do you think that?"

"There's no more path under us." I look down and low and behold, he's right. There's absolutely no path beneath us.

"Looks like there isn't." I say.

"Nope. None at all." Gold agrees.

"_You mean we're lost?!" _Joey shrieks.

"Not lost. We've just misplaced the path." Gold, that doesn't make any sense.

"You can't 'misplace' a path!" And Joey's making all the sense right now.

"Alright, alright, just calm down. Now, I'm one-hundred percent positive that we were all walking in a straight line, don't you all agree?" They both nod their heads.

"And the path was going straight for as far as the eye could see, right?" They nod their heads again.

"Yet, somehow, we lost the path. The path was going straight, we were going straight, yet… there's no path right now. Something about this forest is off…" Not just that it's the home to one of the people guiding me through this world, but it's something else…

"Yeah, you're right! I had a feeling that-"

Well, looks like he felt that alright. Gold had crashed into the ground, face first, due to tripping over something. And said something? The infamous Farfetch'd that I used to hate trying to corner to bring him back to his owner. Does that mean that his owner's nearby? I sure hope so… at least then we'd be able to get some directions as to where to go to get out of here.

"Gold? There's a…" Joey begins.

"I know." Gold replies, his face still in the ground.

"Gold, if there's a Pokémon out here, then that probably means that there's a trainer as well… A wild Pokémon wouldn't have been this well-taken care of. Well, excluding the exhaustion. Let's see…" Let's see if the stereotypical works here, too. I check behind the bush that Farfetch'd was fainted in front of, and true to the stereotype, there's a boy passed out behind the bush as well.

"Found him!" I shout out to Gold and Joey. They both leave the Pokémon and come to where I'm standing, both looking down at the boy.

"What?! A guy?! Hey, are you alright?" Gold bends down and starts shaking the boy. Gold, I really think that's doing more harm than good… But he doesn't seem to care, because he continues to shake the boy until Joey puts a hand on his shoulder and stops him.

"Gold, that's not helping at all!"

"Alright, then what do _you _think we should do?"

"Well, _I _think we should carry both of them and try to get them to a house, or at least a safer place than out in the open." Gold and Joey both look at me and slowly nod, Gold taking the boy and Joey taking the Pokémon. I decide to help Gold with the boy and take half of him, leaving the other half for the pervert to hold. The upper half, mind you.

"What do you think did this?" Gold asks after we've begun searching for the path once more.

"Well, from the look of the wound marks, it appears that something with either very sharp, very long teeth, or very sharp, very long claws did this. I mean, look at its leek! Even its weapon is basically destroyed!" It's true. The leek's bent in half, scratched up everywhere, and completely unusable.

"Where do you think this guy lives?" Gold asks, now changing the question.

"I don't-" I stop mid-sentence due to feeling a cold breeze go by.

"Did… you feel that?" Gold asks.

"If you're talking about the chill… then yes." Joey slowly nods his head as well.

"Do you know where it's coming from?" Joey asks.

"No idea. But, I do have a quick question for you." Both of the boys look at me.

"Is it just me, or are these guys getting heavier?" Ever since the chill passed, it's felt as if the boy's been getting heavier in a few short seconds, which I _know _isn't natural.

"Now that you mention it… this guy's getting a little harder for me to carry." Joey says, grunting to add to the effect.

"You're right… what's going on?" Gold lets his half slide to the ground, I sigh, then let my own side fall as well.

"I think we should get away for the meantime…" If I remember anything, and I should, this reminds me much of what happened in the Pokémon Tower, years ago, when I caught my Gastly from Koga…

"Why?" I give Gold a look that says 'Just do it.'

Gold backs away, same as Joey, and not a few seconds later does mist begin to rise from the boy.

"Yeah… I thought this would happen again."

"_Again?_ You mean this happened before?!"

"Yes, Gold. It's actually how I caught my Gastly. Who I think really wants to fight. Mind letting me take care of this one?"

"You mean that mist is a Pokémon?" Joey asks.

"A Gastly, to be exact. Alright, I'm taking on the Gastly. How about you two take care of the Farfetch'd?" The bird's also begun emitting a mist, which means that it's now under the control of the Pokémon.

A few more seconds after the mist had begun to rise, a shape forms from the mist. A round shape, solid in the middle, with gases emitting from the solid. A Gastly.

I send out my Gengar and ready for battle.

"Alright, Psychic!" Gengar wags its fingers like it did so long ago, and the air around the Gastly begins to shimmer. The Gastly's face contorts in pain, but it soon floats out of the shimmering air, its face returning to normal. Looks like this'll be tougher than I thought… I've rarely fought Ghosts before.

"Let's try Shadow Ball!" This time Gengar brings its hands together, slowly moves them apart, creating a ball of solid shadows in-between its hands. The Gastly begins to execute one of its own attacks, causing the air to shimmer around Gengar, although much less so than when Gengar had attacked it. Gengar's not effected by the shimmering and finishes readying the Shadow Ball, and lets it blast from his hands into the Gastly. The Gastly's hit directly and begins withdrawing some of its mist from the boy, but keeps it in the Farfetch'd that is currently fighting Gold and Joey.

"We're getting there…" I mumble to myself.

"Alright, try Thunder!" Gengar wags its fingers back and forth, just like it did for the Pyschic, although this time it raises its fingers towards the sky at the last second and a huge flash of lightning comes down, followed by a bang of thunder as it hits. The Gastly's hit once more, this time it retrieving all of the mist from the boy, healing itself even further.

The Gastly decides to attack back with another attack of its own, this time causing the air around Gengar to shimmer even more than before, but still, not as much as Gengar had caused it to do with its own attack.

"Gold, Joey! How are you two holding up?" I shout over to them while Gengar shakes off the attack.

"Just fine! But when will these things faint?!" He shouts back.

"I don't know… This thing's survived multiple attacks!" I have Gengar throw another Psychic towards it, this one keeping it in the shimmering area longer than the first time I attempted it. The Gastly withdraws all of the mist from the Farfetch'd this time, completely healing itself and letting the Farfetch'd out of its control. The bird faints, and Gold and Joey stop attacking.

The Gastly, now alone in fighting, and fighting all three of us at once, decides that it'd be a good time to run away and does just that.

And, of course, we chase after it.

"Where do you think it's going?!" Gold shouts while running.

"Probably to its owner, or to wherever it came from if it doesn't have an owner… wherever that is."

Boy, I couldn't have been farther from the truth.

The Gastly wasn't running away to go back to its owner or to wherever it came from… it was running back to lead us to its 'friends!'

And those friends were Ariados, Delibird, and Houndour.

Alright. First thing's first. It's not that I'm scared of spiders or anything, because I'm not, but the sight of Ariados is a peculiar one to me. That's because I don't really see much of them… here, or back on Earth. It just wasn't one of those Pokémon that I was all about,. Same with Delibird. I only saw Delibird more than Ariados because of its position as one of the mini-game Pokémon in Stadium.

"What?! Four of them? Great… how are we gonna win this one?!" Joey complains.

"Really? You really had to say that? Joey, Gold and I have more than one Pokémon each. We'll be fine." I say while the enemy Pokémon are all staring us down.

Seconds tick by, and eventually the Houndour leaps towards Gold.

"Aipom, Scratch!" The Aipom leaps onto Houndour and begins scratching at its face, blinding it temporarily while it tries to get the monkey off.

"Alright, to make it fair, let's have you help as well, Cubone!" I send out the little Pokémon and have him begin clubbing the Delibird, swinging his bone back and forth.

"Rattata, Hyper Fang!" Joey has his Rattata bite the Ariados – ewwwww – sinking its fangs deep into the Pokémon.

Finally, I have Gengar throw another Shadow Ball towards the Gastly that had led us here. The ball hits the Gastly dead-on, throwing it backwards now that it's used up all of its mist to heal itself.

"Fury Swipes!" Gold calls out.

"Hyper Fang!" Joey repeats.

"Psychic!" Gengar wags his fingers, the air shimmers, and this time, the Gastly begins to slowly float down towards the ground, withdrawing the mist from around the sphere. Alright, one down, three to go.

"Cubone, Bonemerang!" Cubone stops clubbing the Delibird and swings it towards it, the bird being lifted off the ground and into the air, riding the bone, and eventually it comes to a halt as the bone lodges itself into a tree, throwing the bird off and into the tree as well. Two down, two to go…

I take a look to see how Gold and Joey are doing, and they seem to be doing much better than they were against the Farfetch'd.

…

Dammit! We forgot about the boy and the Farfetch'd! Oh well… I only hope that there's no more than just these four lurking here, or they could be in some serious trouble.

"Hyper Fang once more!" Again, what's up with trainers and being obsessed with one attack in particular? Gold with Scratch, Red with Razor Leaf, and now Joey with Hyper Fang? Although, I have to admit, Hyper Fang's a pretty overpowered attack. Scratch isn't, and neither is Razor Leaf, but at least Razor Leaf has its high critical chance. If criticals are even things here. If a critical is just an attack doing more damage than normal, then yes, there are.

The spider's bitten once more, and faints from the fang wounds.

Gold has his Aipom do one last Scratch to the Houndour, and the dog faints as well.

"Very… very… good…" We hear a voice come from behind the now-fainted Pokémon. We try to get a closer look, but the fog surrounding the voice makes it too difficult to see.

"Who are you?!" Gold shouts into the fog.

"You need not worry… of my identity. What you need worry of… is the consequences you shall face… if you do not leave…" Leave? Why should we leave? Isn't Ilex Forest an open path to anyone who wants to get from Azalea to Goldenrod?

Oh, right… He tried to kill us with his Pokémon. That means he's bad. That means we don't have to listen to him!

But we should, just in case he's one of those stereotypical villains who tells you every part of their plan before they execute said plan.

"And who do you think you are, telling us to leave, when all of your Pokémon are fainted on the ground?!" Gold, I don't think you should be shouting at this person… we don't even know who they are yet!

I spoke too soon. Well, thought. For as soon as I thought said thought, the voice began moving closer to us.

"Who do I think… I am? Well, how about you… take a look and see for yourselves… who I am…" The voice soon matches a shape in the fog, a black outline of a person, but we're starting to tell more details about them. First, we see something fluttering around the entire shape itself. A cape? Secondly, where the head would be, we see a much-larger-than-a-head shape. I wonder what that is…

A few seconds later, the entire body bursts through the fog, and we can see the entire body of said person.

Oh…

No…

I knew we'd be running into him, but… this soon? Heh, that's what I say about all villains.

I'm now looking face-to-face with the Masked Man, in all of his masked glory. Looks like the fluttering shape is indeed a cape, and the much-larger-than-a-head-shape is his mask. And said mask is also fluttering due to the little tails that are coming out from it.

"Now do you see… who I am?" The Masked Man speaks.

"No, because of that mask you have on! Why don't you take it off?" Gold, stop making him mad. We don't want to make him mad.

Instead of responding, the Masked Man returns his four fainted Pokémon and sends out another group of four Pokémon, these four all very much alive and active, as well as ready to fight.

These four being a Donphan, Gligar, Sudowoodo, and Stantler.

"Do you three honestly… think that you have a chance to defeat me?" He speaks.

"Hey! No fair! Why do you have eight Pokémon and we can only carry six?!" Gold complains.

"Gold, seriously? You choose _now _to complain about that?!" I shout back at him.

"Yeah! Because right now we're having to face him!"

"I will ask you… once more, and only… once more… Leave this forest… and never return!" Now, why would I do that, when I know exactly what you're here for?

You're for Celebi, just like Team Rocket was for Mew.

"Aipom, Scratch!" And there goes Gold, being his stupid self again. Gold has Aipom rush towards the Masked Man and scratch his mask, leaving tiny scratch marks in it. Nothing major, just a minor annoyance.

"You think that… you will be able… to defeat me?"

"Of course! Scratch, again!"Aipom scratches some more at the mask until he's swatted away by the Masked Man.

"Aipom!"

"Gold, I think we should get out of here." I warn him. Joey nods his head frantically and Gold finally gives in.

"Fine…" He returns his Aipom to his pokéball, I my Gengar and Cubone, and Joey his Rattata. After that, we all turn around and begin running. I really don't want to face the Masked Man right now, especially since we're not really supposed to fight him at this moment…

But our flight is short lived, due to the Masked Man sending his Pokémon to block our path.

"Aw, man! Now what do we do?!" Gold whines.

"One must finish… what one has started… Why don't you join them… and became one of my guards?" The Masked Man points behind him and...

The boy and Farfetch'd from earlier appear, now with renewed mist surrounding them. Does this guy have another Gastly, or even worse? Or, is he creating the mist himself?

"I get it now! So you're the one who used Gastly to control that guy and his Pokémon!" Gold, didn't you get that from Gastly leading us to him?

"Yes, that's right… I'm the one controlling these two…" The man confirms.

"I don't know what you're up to, but that's downright despicable! You can't stop us with the little powers you have!" Gold, you honestly don't know this man like I do. You really shouldn't be talking like that.

"We'll take no orders from you! Philippe, Joey, we have to stop him! Who knows what else he'll do if we let him go!?"

"Gold, we can't fight him! We don't know what he's capable of! Well, we know he's capable of controlling one's body and mind, and isn't that enough to give us reason to run?!" I try to get it through his thick skull, but to no avail. Gold still sends out his Aipom and Quilava, ready to fight.

"Interesting… you are one strange boy… Gold… Normally, most people would have fled… at the sight of me… But instead, you decided to completely ignore your friend… and try to fight me anyways… I applaud your courage, and for said courage… I shall present you with a gift…" The Masked Man has his Sudowoodo wobble over to him, carrying a present in its branches-for-arms. As soon as the Sudowoodo drops the present at Gold's feet, it runs back to the Masked Man.

I don't like the look of this…

BOOM!

A huge explosion, and smoke and debris flying everywhere.

"We've been had!" You don't say, Gold? You honestly don't say?

"Donphan, Rollout!" Oh Arceus, not that attack…

I jump out of the way, only a second before the Donphan comes rolling where I was just standing. I send out Pikachu, Gengar, and Cubone, all ready to fight. Not Dragonair, since there's no body of water nearby. I can't wait for her to evolve into a Dragonite and be able to fight alongside everyone else…

"Gengar, scout for Donphan and use Psychic!" Gengar slinks into the shadows and begins searching for the Pokémon, while Cubone and Pikachu both surround me, waiting for any more attacks that come our way.

Suddenly, the Gligar comes rushing my way, trying to attack. Cubone handles this by throwing his bone at the Pokémon, knocking it so that it misses my head by just inches. I guess the Masked Man's really playing hard now, isn't he? Well, I'm used to being hunted and people attempting to kill me.

"Pikachu, Thunder!" Pikachu uses Thunder on the Gligar before it can recover from that knock and hits it dead-on. The Thunder does some damage, but not much. What should I expect from none other than the Masked Man?

His Gligar attacks once again, this time using a move that if I had to guess, I'd guess it's Guillotine. What I don't like about this is that it's a one-hit if it hits. And it's aimed directly for my head!

I duck and the Guillotine misses my head, but I think that's what the Gligar wanted me to do, because right behind me was Gengar, now out of the shadows. But joke's on him! Normal attacks don't work against Ghost types!

But, once again, I was wrong. That's not what the Gligar wanted to do either. The Gligar goes straight through Gengar and crashes into the tree that was behind him. Well, not exactly crash… more like cut in half. The tree begins to fall and as it hits the ground, creates even more dust and debris that are floating in the air, replenishing what was almost settled from the jack-in-the-box bomb.

"Alright, looks like he wants to fight using surprise…" I say to myself.

The Gligar's recovered from the hit and dashes towards Gengar, this time its claws glowing black. A Dark attack? This isn't good…

"Cubone, stall with your bone!" Cubone rushes over to Gengar, puts himself in-between the Gligar and Gengar, and holds his bone up in front of his body, using it as a shield between the claws and the rest of his body.

While Cubone's defending against Gligar's attack, a huge burst of flames comes from out of the smoke, igniting Gligar as soon as it hits.

"Gold, watch where you're aiming that thing!" He almost hit me!

"I would if I could see!" Gold's voice is getting nearer, and eventually I see him pop through the smoke, along with Joey following right behind him.

"Alright, now that we're all together again, how about we escape? I really don't want to fight him face to face." This time Gold agrees and returns his Pokémon. Joey and I do the same, although I decide to leave Gengar out once more. It seems that whenever we're in trouble, as long as I leave him out we're always safe.

We follow Gold's lead.

"I think we'll be safe up in the trees!" Gold suggests.

"Gold, when has a single one of your ideas ever worked!?" I shout.

"Just trust me!" That's exactly what I _don't _want to do in a life or death situation, but fine. Gold leads us to a tree and helps us up once he's gotten to the top-most branches.

"String Shot!" We hear from a ways away. Webs come shooting out from the smoke, latching onto the trees as well as Gold. The web that's attached to Gold is tugged on a bit, and soon we hear a huge thud, as well as feel a huge shake that almost knocks us out of the tree.

"Dammit! They know where we are and they're trying to knock us out!" Good observation, Gold!

The Donphan continues to use Rollout on the tree, and eventually it rocks back and forth enough that we're all knocked out of the tree. We come down with a crash, and the Donphan looks at us with hatred in its eyes.

"Uh-oh… What do we do now?!" Gold shouts. I knew that leaving Gengar out would be a good idea.

"Hypnosis!" Gengar appears from out of the shadows and wags its fingers, the Donphan growing sleepier and sleepier with each wag, eventually closing its eyes and falling to the ground in a deep slumber.

"That takes care of the Donphan… but we still have three more to watch out for."

"It seems that I must bid you farewell… It has been fun, this battle… But it is time for us to go." A voice says from within the smoke, still lingering from the explosion and the tree falling down.

"Hey! Who do you think you are?! Do you think we'll just let you walk out of here after doing that to those two guys, and after trying to kill us?!" Gold shouts after him.

"Why don't you take off your mask and fight like a real man, face to face?!" He continues taunting the man.

"Hm… Kids are so pesky these days… I'm afraid I can't take you with me … You just are not… How should I put it… 'Gutsy,' enough…"

"What?!" Gold doesn't like that…

"Gold, just let him go. We've seen what he can do, and if we were to face him face to face, then there's no way we'd be able to beat him! Not even I'd be able to! Maybe if we had Red with us, but no way with just the three of us!" I try to knock some sense into him, try to get him to stop wanting to chase after the man. It works, but Gold's still angry.

"The next time we run into that guy, you're not gonna stop me. We're gonna beat him!" I wonder why Gold's so sure that we'll run into him again?

"We'll have to train a lot more if we want to be able to defeat him… Anyways, we all did great today. We actually survived an attack from a boss!" I exclaim.

"A boss?" Joey asks.

"Remember what I said? Before, we had only fought grunts and members of the organizations trying to kill us. Even though this man didn't have any Team Rocket logo, he's still considered to be one of the strongest people who's after us." He may not wear the logo, but he's still part of Team Rocket. At least I know that there's only one organization that's after me right now, and that I don't have to worry about multiple groups coming after us.

"So this is the guy that we'll have to worry about, and once we've beaten him there'll be nothing left to worry about?" Not for me, but for you, probably.

"Yeah. Once he's taken care of, we shouldn't be in any danger any longer. Only the Team Rocket grunts will be after us, and you've seen how weak they are! Actually, if that man's part of Team Rocket, then not even Team Rocket will come after us anymore once he's defeated!" This calms Joey down greatly.

"That's good…"

"Yeah. Now, let's go back and get those two guys. We should really get them to a Pokémon Center, and fast…"

* * *

Gold, Joey, and I all bring the boy and the Farfetch'd through the rest of the forest, finding our way out without too much trouble. Strange… before we ran into the Masked Man we were getting lost right and left, and after he disappeared we were able to find our way out without much trouble. I wonder if Celebi had anything to do with it… Maybe Celebi was the reason why he had to leave? All I remember of him is who he is and what he's after.

"Alright, Nurse Joy said that he's stable and that he should be up and running sometime tomorrow." That's a relief.

"I think we should get some rest ourselves as well. We had a long day today, haven't we? We went from Azalea to Goldenrod in only one day! Although, it was just getting through Ilex Forest… which took us the entire day! I'm not sure about you two, but I'm tired…" I get up and ask the Nurse for a room. She shows me to it, Gold and Joey following me so they'll be able to find it later, then they both leave to explore the city. I have no idea how they both have so much energy after all that's happened today…

I climb into bed and fall asleep almost immediately.

* * *

Author's Note:

Here's to another chapter! So... yeah. That's pretty much it. Read, review, etc. etc.


	60. Department

Alright. One down, one to go. I've spoken with Gold about him and his feelings towards Joey, now all I have to do is do the same with Joey. Talk to him about him and his feelings towards Gold. If he has any. I really hope he doesn't… I can't see Gold with anyone but Silver! And maybe Ruby… Nope! He's going to end up with Silver and that's final!

I really can't believe that I've woken up this early two mornings in a row. Well, back when I had to wake up for school I had to wake up pretty early, but that was over three years ago! I'm not really used to waking up this early anymore… It's a good thing that Gold sleeps in, otherwise I'd be the worst person to be around in the morning.

"Joey?" I whisper, trying to see if he's already awake or not.

No answer. Guess he's not.

I get up, out of bed, and squint my eyes, trying to find out which of the other two beds he chose. They must've been able to get in while I was sleeping and not wake up me. Although, that's not much of a feat, considering it takes a lot to wake me up.

I eventually find Joey and make my way over to his bed, trying not to wake up Gold in the process.

"Joey?" I whisper again. He stirs a little, but then settles back down again. I shake him a little bit, eliciting a sound from the boy, but nothing else. I shake him a bit harder this time, causing his eyes to open slightly.

"Mhm…?" Oh, great. Just like Gold.

"Joey, get up."

"Why…? Is something wrong?" He asks, still drowsy.

"No, nothing's wrong. I just have to ask you something." I explain.

"I hope it's important…"

"To me it is. To you, maybe not, but I think it'd be important to you as well."

"Is it so important that it makes you this hyper this early?" I'm not hyper!

"Not hyper; just able to be fully awake and fully functioning. Unlike someone over there." I point towards Gold.

"Alright… just say what it is you want to say and let me go back to sleep."

"Ok. Joey, I know that you've been feeling awkward around Gold for a while now because of how he's been treating you, as well as…" I trail off, not sure how to continue where I was going.

"Yeah… that…" He finishes for me.

"Anyways, I've just been wondering how you've been feeling about that. Besides awkwardness, that is. How do you feel about Gold?"

"Um… Well, it's not that I like him back or anything… I just don't know how to let anyone down! I'm not into him at all, and I've wanted to tell him that, but I don't know how to say it so that he won't completely hate me, or be completely depressed because of it!" I can't describe the amount of relief I feel at Joey's confession. This means that Gold and Silver still have a chance! Well, that all depends on if Silver's how I said he was or not… If for some reason I run into Blue I should ask her.

"I don't think that he'd mind it that much. I've spoken to him before about you, and it's not really 'love' he feels…" I trail off once more.

"What does he feel if it's not love?" Dammit, I don't want to go there again!

"I don't think it's really my place to tell you that… Anyways, we should stop the conversation here."

"Why?"

I point towards the half-awake Gold. Good thing he's only half-awake; he's still not able to comprehend our conversation and is still not able to form coherent sentences himself.

"So, how'd you sleep?" I ask.

"What time is it?" He asks groggily.

"Six."

"Six…"

"Six in the morning."

"Why are you two up at six in the morning?" Because I felt like it!

"Couldn't fall back asleep." I answer.

"He woke me up." Joey answers.

"So, now that we're all up, how about we go explore the city a bit? You two had time last night to do so, but since I went to bed I haven't seen any of it!"

"But what would be open at six in the morning?" Gold, you have no idea.

"Gold, even though _you _don't wake up at six, most of the world is up and functioning at this time." He groans.

"Fine, fine… let's go."

* * *

"So this is Goldenrod…" I'm amazed at the size… it's easily the largest city that I've been in to date. Including those on Earth!

"Yeah, pretty impressive, isn't it?" Joey comments.

"How about we do a little shopping? We weren't able to do much yesterday because it was so late, but now we should be able to get so much more!" Gold exclaims.

"But Gold… I don't have any money!" I've only bought things while I was with Red, and it was he who paid for everything.

"Nonsense! You have a Trainer Card, right?" Uh… I can't believe I haven't thought of that since I got here! I've never seen a Trainer Card since I got here, actually.

"I don't think so…" Gold's mouth opens in shock.

"Philippe, _every _trainer has a Trainer Card. Hm… it might be in your PokéDex. That's where I found mine!" What…?

"What do you mean 'in your PokéDex'?"

"Look." Gold takes out his own PokéDex and takes off the back, revealing a little compartment of which inside… is a Trainer Card.

"I never knew it could do that…" I mumble.

"Well, Professor Oak showed me the compartment when he gave me the PokéDex. I wonder why he never showed you?" Gold says as I begin fumbling with my own device. I pop off the back and there it is: A Trainer Card. I take it out and read the contents.

"Philippe…" Well, that's to be expected. I haven't actually told anyone my last name; no one else has told me theirs, except for the Professors, but that's because that's their last name! Anyways…

"Age: 13."

"That makes you two years older than me!" Gold exclaims.

"Date of Birth: 2/2." And that's to be expected, too. The years here are obviously different from the years back home, so… Yeah.

"And right below your birthdate it should show how much money you have. After each battle you win, or lose, the money on the card is automatically added or deducted from the balance at the end of the battle. How much do you have?"

I check the balance, and I'm not sure whether to be shocked or disappointed. How much is a lot of money here, anyways?

"How much money do you have?" I ask Gold for comparison.

"Only 10,000…" Alright, if 10,000 isn't that much, that's good for comparing how much money I have… not.

"Alright. A better question. How much money would be a lot?"

"Well, I'm not quite sure. My mom's the one who does all the large purchases. Just tell us how much you have!" I decide to just show him the card. He looks at it, stops for a moment, then stops breathing altogether.

"Gold? Are you alright?"

Joey steps in and looks at the card as well.

He stops breathing, just like Gold has.

"Are both of you alright?"

"Philippe..." Gold starts.

"How…" Joey continues.

"_How did you get so much money?!"_ They both scream.

"I guess if I have a lot of money, it has to be from all the battling of Team Rocket I did in the past couple of years. I mean, an evil organization has to have a lot of money, right? Also from the battles that I've fought two-on-two with Red… And the few battles I've won against Red. Those battles were before he became Champion, by the way. Plus the fact that I haven't spent any money since I first got my PokéDex… Red was the one paying for everything. I wonder why his card isn't in here and mine is… This was originally his PokéDex, after all." Maybe Red switched his out when he gave it to me? But I would've never had put mine in in the first place… Maybe Professor Oak put it in when he upgraded it? I'm so confused…

"Doesn't matter where you got it, the big thing is that you have it! Let's go!" Gold ditches the two of us and rushes into the Department Store.

"Let's go after him…" Joey and I follow him inside.

Once we reach the front desk and catch up with Gold, we ask the woman for a map of the building.

"Alright… looks like there's only one area for check-out in the entire building. So I guess that means that we wander all about the building, picking up things that we want or need, and we pay for them all at the same place. That'll make it easier for me! You two can go on ahead and go wherever you'd like, but I'd like for us to meet back here in… Let's say a couple hours?" I know that a couple hours for shopping sounds like a lot of time… well, not really, for most people who like to go out shopping. I knew some people who could go out shopping all day and _still _not be done. The thing is… I've only been out shopping for a maximum of three hours at a time. And that's for grocery shopping! The longest I've been out at a time for casual shopping is two hours.

"So, be back by noon? Alright!" And with that, Gold dashes off. Joey goes off on his own as well.

I begin to make my way towards the elevator but am stopped by a pair of cloaked persons. Uh-oh…

"Excuse me, but could we have a moment of your time?" I don't like where this is going.

"Yes… but why would you need me-" I'm thrown to the ground before I have a chance to question them. The duo throws off their cloaks and…

I think that this is even worse than anything I could've imagined.

"We finally got you!" The pair of girls squeal.

"W…wha…_what?!" _I scream.

"You didn't expect to see us here, now did you?"

"Well of course I didn't expect to see you here! Why are you here in the first place?!" I continue to scream, attracting some attention.

"Would you keep it down? You're starting to attract a crowd…"

"Fine… but tell me why you're here!"

"I'm here to keep an eye on you, silly!"

"Why, Blue, _why _would you need to keep an eye on me? And why are _you _here too, Yellow?!"

"To make sure you're faithful to Red!" Yellow squeals.

"Faithful to… what are you talking about?!"

"Well, you're traveling with two guys, and one seems to be like you, so it's obvious that you might be tempted to go for him while Red's away, so…" Blue begins.

"We're here to remind you to stick with Red and to ignore all those temptations!" Yellow finishes.

"Yellow, I think you've been spending way too much time with Blue." She's acting more and more like her, and I'm a little worried…

"Well, of course she's spending so much time with me! She _is _my girlfriend after all!" That's where I die a little.

"…"

"Yep!"

"…_When did this happen?!" _I scream, forgetting about the warning they had given me earlier.

"A little bit before that incident with you cross-dressing!"

"You're the one who made me do that! You forced me into the dress!" I argue.

"Don't tell us you didn't love it!" Yellow argues back.

"The only up-side to that entire thing is that Red and Green both weren't able to tell it was me. Makes it so I can stalk them more easily now."

"That's more like it! So… how's the boy you're with? Actually, how are both of them?" Blue changes the topic.

"Well, Gold's trying to get into Joey's pants, and Joey's too nice to let him down easily. I found those two things out within the past two days!"

"So, another guy as perverted as you!" Blue comments.

"You're one to talk. You're just as perverted, Blue!"

"Yeah…" She grins.

"Anyways, I'm not into either of them. I'm still into Red, and I will be until he physically and personally tells me if he doesn't like me, and even then I think that I'd probably still love him!"

"Well, that's good. Now that we've gotten that out of the way… how about we do some catching up? There's got to be a lot that's gone on since you've gotten here! I mean, there's a lot that's gone on for us two, as well as Red and Green, and out of the five of us you seem to be the one that attracts the most trouble!"

"You've got that right, Blue… I mean, I've been attacked by Team Rocket multiple times since I've gotten here! They've tried to kill us on multiple occasions!" I exclaim.

"You too?" Yellow adds.

"I'm guessing that they've been going after all five of us, huh?"

"Yep!"

"I wonder why they've gone as far as to go to Johto to come after me… They couldn't have possibly moved to Johto just to get me! I mean, out of the five, I'm the one who did the least! And the only reason I'm proud of admitting that is that I'm hoping that it'll make Team Rocket go after me less."

"Probably not." Blue admits.

"Probably… Anyways, what's been going on with you two?"

"Yellow and I have been travelling all across Kanto, searching for new Pokémon, fighting new people, basically all the stuff you'd expect Red to be doing! Except for him, he's been fighting the Gyms all over again, now with the leaders at their full strength. They're ruthless! Who knew that the leaders that Red beat when he was eleven are actually so much stronger than they lead on?" Blue explains.

"I do! But, that's only because after Gold beat Falkner, Falkner came to save us from a herd of Sunkern and a Skarmory using Pokémon he hadn't used during their fight." Blue and Yellow both nod.

"Of course. A Gym Leader would have to be much stronger than how they are during a Gym battle to be able to pass the test. Speaking of passing the test… Did you hear who succeeded Giovanni as the Gym Leader in Viridian?" Blue questions.

"No, who?" Actually, I do, but I don't want to let them know that I do.

"Green, of all people!"

"Of course it's him…"

"I know what he did to you and how he acted towards you, but you have to admit that he's one hell of a trainer! He beat Red on multiple occasions before he became the Champion, remember?" Blue reminds me.

"Yes, but _you _have to remember that I also beat Green once or twice before Red became the Champion! I've also beaten Red a couple times before that, but that's only because he wasn't as mature as he is now." I remind her as well.

"Ha! Red? Mature? As if! He's just as immature as he's ever been! Even more now, since you're not there to keep him in check!" What does she mean… "immature?"

"Alright, you said that you came here to make sure that I was staying faithful to Red. Now, I have to ask you; is he being faithful to me?" I know that we're not exactly dating at this point, and I don't even know if he likes me or not, but I have to ask it this way. I mean, that's how Blue told me why she and Yellow are here!

"Yes, he's being faithful to you, don't worry. He hasn't been seduced by Green yet." The "yet" is what's scaring me…

"Alright, can we change the topic from Green?" I don't really like talking about him that much.

"So, what are you doing here?" Yellow asks.

"Because Gold decided that it'd be a good idea to do a little shopping while we were in the largest city in Johto. He said that he and Joey did a bit yesterday, but it was late and they didn't have that much money. Now they're mooching off all of the money that I've earned by defeating Team Rocket members so many times and by travelling with Red all across Kanto in the past couple of years. I never knew I had so much money… I'm pretty sure that Red has more, what with him being the Champion and all, but for someone like me, the amount of money that I have is amazing!" And of course, Blue and Yellow both ask how much I have, I tell them, they say they have around the same amount, etc.

"I bet how you got your money, Blue." I tease.

"How?"

"By stealing! I mean, you're a great con-artist, aren't you? You stole Red's badges after all!" She blushes.

"Why, thank you for remembering!"

"Oh! I've been meaning to ask you this if I ever ran into you!" I remember what I had thought of asking her from this morning.

"And what's that?"

"What's up with Silver?" I ask.

"Silver? Why're you asking about him?" Blue asks, confused.

"Well, Gold, Joey, and I have been running into him once in a while during our journey across Johto, and he's been hating us every time! He doesn't want anything to do with us, and he escapes as soon as he can! Although, I did get him to promise to give Gold a chance the next time we ran into each other. Gold's the real reason he keeps running away from us." Blue's eyes sparkle at the mention of Gold.

"So, you actually got Silver to agree to give the boy a chance?"

"Yep! So, I've been meaning to ask..." I begin.

"Ask what?"

"Ask how's Silver." Blue looks at me, confused.

"What do you mean, 'how's Silver?' Isn't he doing fine, since you've run into him so many times?"

"I don't mean it like that! I mean, is he into guys?" Blue's eyes light up again.

"Well, I can't tell you that, because if I did Silver would kill me!"

"Why can't you tell me? If you told me, I could help you in your role while you're off with Yellow!" I exclaim.

"Help me in my role? What role?" She questions.

"In your role of matchmaker! That's the reason I asked Gold how he felt about Joey and how Joey felt about Gold; I really think that Gold and Silver would be good for each other. They'd complement each other; Gold would better Silver's faults and Silver would better Gold's faults!" I explain.

"Hm… maybe… but the fact still remains that if I told you, Silver would kill me!"

"So, if Silver would kill you if you told me, then that means he's gay, right?" I ask.

"What makes you think that?"

"Because if Silver was straight, he wouldn't mind you telling people that, obviously. Only if he were gay would he mind you telling people, right?" Blue's eyes now change from sparkling, to fear.

"Dammit! Now he's gonna think that I told you! I'm the only one he's told!"

"Well, if he and Gold get together because of it, I don't think he'd mind, now would he? As long as everything works out in the end, everything would be fine, right?" This calms Blue down a bit, but she's still a little fearful.

"I guess… But please don't tell him you know! Just try to get them together discreetly, ok?"

"Alright. I'll try to get them together without them knowing that I'm trying to get them together. Although, that'll be hard either way, since Gold still 'hates' Silver, and Silver still 'hates' Gold. But that'll make it all the more challenging for me, which, in turn, would make me feel all the better once, and if, I actually succeed in getting them together!"

"Of course! That's exactly how I feel about you and Red!" Oh, she better not…

"Blue, have you told Red anything that I've told you and Yellow?" I ask.

"No, of course not! I'm letting you do all the work! But I'll still feel proud of you two once you get together!"

"'Once' we get together? What about 'if' we get together?"

"Because I know you two will eventually! Who knows how long it'll take, but I'm sure that you two will someday!" Blue exclaims.

"Alright, alright… Well, I think we've done enough catching up. I let Gold and Joey go free for a couple hours here, we've already spent a good amount of time talking, and I still haven't done any shopping!" I explain.

"Well, how about we go shopping with you? It's been a while since we have, right, Yellow?" Yellow nods her head.

"Alright! So, where to first?" I ask.

"How about the first floor and make our way up?" Yellow suggests.

"Sounds like a plan!" We make our way to the elevator, arrive on the second floor, and begin searching for stuff.

"So, everything that a Pokémon Trainer could need on his or her journey…" I mumble to myself. I walk over to the display counters and take a couple of pokéballs, a couple of full heals, a couple of revives – who knew that those actually existed here? I mean, I've never seen them before in the three years I've been here! I also take some normal, super, and hyper potions… A lot of things, really, because who knows when I'd need them?

Once I'm done picking out what I need, I head back to the elevator and wait for Yellow and Blue. Once they're finished, they make their way back to the elevator as well and we all go up to the third floor.

"Battle Collection…" Ew. X Attacks, X Speeds, X Accuracies, all of the stat boosting items. I've never really used any, so I just follow Yellow and Blue around while they shop for stuff.

"You aren't getting anything?" Yellow asks.

"Well, I don't really see the point in using any of these. If your Pokémon's too weak to win without them, then you haven't been training it enough and should start doing so!" Blue and Yellow both nod.

"I know, but it doesn't hurt to give them a little boost!" Blue chooses some X Stats and once we're finished, we head towards the elevator once more, this time landing on the fourth floor.

"Medicine Box… Hey! Finally, something that'll be useful!" I love permanent stat increasing medicine. They've always been my friends in the games, and hopefully they'll be my friends here! And hopefully they don't taste as bad as they do in the games, although they probably do… I pick out a few of everything, even though they're quite expensive; 9,800 each. Now I know how broke Gold really is, only having 10,000 of his own.

"So, you don't do temporary boosts, but you do permanent boosts?" Blue asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course! If they're permanent, they're better. I don't like having to give Pokémon boosts every single battle that will only wear off at the end of said battle, not that I've done it before, because I haven't!" It's a bit hypocritical, but oh well. We finish the conversation and head up to the fifth floor.

"Oh, TMs! It's been a while since I've last used one of these… Actually, I've never used one of these. I've only used HMs." I exclaim as we exit the elevator.

"At least now you can teach your Pokémon new moves instead of using the moves that they've had all this time!" Yellow says.

"Alright, let's see…" I pick up a Rock Smash and Blizzard for Cubone and a Fire Blast for and Focus Blast for Gengar. I wait for Blue and Yellow to finish picking out their TMs and head into the elevator once they're done, moving up to the sixth floor. Wait… Sixth? Didn't there used to be only five…? Oh well, the more floors, the more we can buy!

We exit the elevator on the sixth floor and I'm amazed to see movies, books, magazines, manga, and video games. I'm especially surprised to see the manga; there's some from back on Earth here! Maybe someone didn't only leak out information on the Pokémon World to Earth, but maybe they either leaked out some manga from here to there as well, or they brought it back from Earth to here… Oh well, nothing too important to worry about.

"Finally! This is my kind of place!" Yellow squeals while running off, ditching both Blue and me.

"She's always like this when it comes to her books." Blue sighs.

"Sounds like you know a lot about her." I guess.

"Well, after being together with a person for several months and travelling with said person day and night for all that time, you get to know them pretty well. You and Red should know a lot about each other because of that, but, surprisingly, you don't. I think that the next time you see him you should ask him more about his childhood and such; it'd make it much easier to relate and get closer to him!" There's my Blue, always trying to pair people up and such, especially me!

"I'll try to, but I don't really like talking about my own past… it's nothing compared to yours and Silver's, but… I still don't like talking about it." I admit.

"Alright, I won't ask how you know that Silver was with me during the events of my past, because I know that somehow you're able to know much more than even I. You don't ask how I get my information, I won't ask how you get yours. Just, please… don't tell anyone about it." The look in her eyes makes it so I can't do anything _but _listen and obey her request.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. But, I do have a question: Have you at least told Yellow?" Yellow should know, considering who she is and who she is to her.

"Not yet, but I'm planning on doing it soon. I just want to be the one to tell her, no one else." Alright, that makes sense.

"I'm back! And look who I found!" Yellow appears from behind a shelf and behind her being dragged along is Gold!

"Owowow… Who is this girl?" Gold asks, looking directly at me.

"Well, if you had been paying any attention to my stories you would've been able to have figured it out quickly. Look at these two." I point towards Blue and Yellow, Yellow now standing next to Blue.

"Yeah? So?" Gold, you're hopeless.

"You two know what to do." I gesture towards the two girls. Blue smirks at Yellow and gives her a quick kiss.

It takes a couple of seconds, but it finally hits him.

"OH! These are the two girls you were talking about!" He shouts, attracting some attention, but they eventually ignore him and continue on their way.

"Yes, these are the two. Blue and Yellow, meet Gold. Gold, meet Blue and Yellow!" Gold walks up to them and shakes each of their hands… quite uncharacteristically.

"Philippe's told me so much about you! Say… Blue, was it?" Blue nods.

"Do you think you could help me with something?" A look of confusion passes Blue's face, but it leaves as soon as it came. She agrees and they walk off, leaving me alone with Yellow.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Yellow questions.

"I have no idea, but with it being Gold and with it being Blue, I think I have a pretty good idea…" With Blue being her matchmaker self and with Gold being his perverted self, I'm worried of what the two can talk about with each other.

"How about we go find the other member of my party? Since Gold's on this floor, Joey's probably nearby as well…" Yellow nods and follows. Eventually we find Joey, looking at a particular game.

"Hey, Joey!" I call out. Joey looks up and waves.

"Hey! …Who's your friend?"

"This is Yellow. She's one of the girls from Kanto I was talking about." Joey's eyes slightly widen at this information.

"It's so nice to meet you! Philippe's told us so much about you!" Yellow looks up at me.

"You've been telling them about us?" I give her a sheepish grin in return.

"Yeah… I've been telling them about everything! Including Green…" Yellow gives a small laugh at the mention of the other pervert.

"How about we go find Gold and Blue before they come up with a plan? Gold's bad enough on his own, Blue's bad enough on her own. Get them together… and I don't even want to think about what they could come up with."

We continue walking around the same floor for a dozen or so more minutes, eventually finding the two. I seriously can't imagine this building being so big… we could easily get lost if we're not careful.

"Hey! There you guys are!" Yellow shouts out to the pair.

"Yep! Here we are!" Blue shouts back. Gold's just standing next to her, silent, blushing.

I wonder what they could've possibly talked about…? I hope it was about Silver!

"So, how about we all continue shopping, together? We've been combing every floor for anything we might like, so why don't you two join us?" I gesture towards Gold and Joey.

"Why not? We've already searched the lower floors as well. It sounds like fun!" Joey says excitedly.

We continue chatting amongst ourselves throughout the rest of the floor and up the elevator leading to the seventh floor.

This floor… brings back memories, somewhat. I've never been to this particular building, but I've been to a clothing store with Red a long time ago, and with Yellow and Blue before leaving for Johto. I really hope they don't do what they did back then now… Maybe to Gold or Joey, but not to me.

"Alright! This is _my _kind of store!" Blue exclaims while running off, Yellow following her.

"If you guys want to catch up, you better hurry up!" Yellow calls over her shoulders. The rest of us begin to run after the pair, slowly catching up. When we _do _catch up, Blue's already found several outfits that she likes and has decided on purchasing.

"Alright! Now that I've gotten something, how about we look for you next?" Blue asks Yellow.

"Sure! Then we'll work on these three!" Yellow gestures towards us. We continue following Blue and Yellow around, Blue picking out some outfits for Yellow, the younger girl picking out some outfits for herself as well.

"Don't you think it'd be best to stop searching for yourself and start searching for us? I mean, if you find one more outfit that you want to buy, you're gonna be broke!" Gold exclaims.

"No we won't! Both of us have as much money as Philippe here does! Well, Yellow a bit less… but still!" Blue explains, Yellow pouting a little. She eventually gives in to Gold's whining and we make our way to the men's section of the store. Gold picks out just one outfit; one that looks oddly familiar to his current outfit.

"This is the place where my mom bought me all of my outfits that I have back home. We didn't exactly stop by, so it'd be good if I had a second pair, right?" Yeah; the only time that Gold's changed is between his night clothes and his day clothes, and he only has one pair of each. He rarely washes them, so it'd do him some good to have another pair.

Joey wanders around, picking out a couple more outfits than Gold, but still, not many at all.

All of them including a pair of shorts. Go figure.

"Alright, Philippe! It's your turn!" Uh-oh…

"I'm quite alright with my current outfit, thank you very much." I still have the outfit that I was found in when Mew had teleported me to this place; I had it repaired before leaving Kanto, so it's as good as new. The second outfit I own is the one that I bought after having that entire incident, then going shopping for some new clothes back in Kanto. Really, I've had a lot of incidents…

"Nonsense! Everyone could use new clothes!" Blue exclaims.

"Um… not really. Like I said, I'm fine with my current outfit." Blue and Yellow completely ignore me and go off, looking for an outfit. Oh well… as long as I'm not the one who's looking for it, I'm fine. I'll just buy it to make them happy.

A couple minutes later they come back with an outfit that I honestly want to kill them for. I still haven't killed them for their previous antics…

"These would look great on you!" No, they wouldn't, Blue!

"Yeah, I bet they would!" Gold, shut up and stop laughing before I beat you upside the head again.

It's a pair of skinny jeans and a tight shirt, way too tight for my liking.

"Blue, I'm fine with you forcing me to buy that, but if you think that I would ever wear it, then you have another thing coming! Same with the rest of you!" And said "rest of you" is still laughing at the fact that Blue would pick that out for me.

I honestly am not surprised that she did, to be honest. I still wanna kill her, however. I wonder how many times that makes that I've wanted to kill her? Three? Four?

"Let's just get out of here…" I say, not in the mood to shop anymore for fear of what else Blue will be able to find for me. It's the last floor anyways. I just don't want her picking out anymore outfits for me.

We all head back to the first floor, get in line, pay for our items, and head out the door. They didn't exactly break me, but they sure did come close. Also, thank Arceus that all of the items are contained within pokéballs! I have no idea what I'd do if they weren't! Actually, I do. I probably wouldn't have bought all of this stuff if that were the case!

"So, I guess this is goodbye!" Blue says.

"What? Goodbye? So soon? But we just met!" Gold whines.

"I'm sorry, but this is all we stopped by to do! We stopped by to shop, and after we were done we were going to go back on our journey to wherever!" That sounds like fun… going wherever and not having to be somewhere for a specific event, while I have to follow the manga step by step. Well, not exactly, due to Gold's deviation from the plot, but… pretty much, I have to follow the manga.

Hey… didn't Blue say that she was here to spy on me and to make sure that I was faithful to Red? Then why'd she lie? Or did she lie about the keeping an eye on me? This _is _Blue we're talking about… I'm never sure with that girl.

"Alright, if you have to go, you have to go. It was nice meeting you!" Joey says goodbye to the two girls, as do Gold and I. After they've left, Gold turns towards me with a grin on his face.

"Alright! Since we're done shopping, do you know what that means?" I'm scared to know the answer…

"No; what does it mean?"

"It means that it's time to take on the gym!"

* * *

Author's Note:

Happy belated birthday, Crystal! Other than that, not much to comment on. Just me asking you to read, review, etc., etc.. Everything I've been asking for a while.


	61. Whitney

"Gold, I feel so bad for you."

"Why is that?"

"Because you have no idea what you're in for…"

"Of course I do! I'm in for another badge, duh!"

Gold has no idea who's the leader of this gym. Gold has no idea who's the leader of the Goldenrod City Gym, and what Pokémon she has. I really feel bad for him… and his Quilava. I also feel bad for his Aipom, but not as much as I do his Quilava.

"Well, here we are!" Gold exclaims as we reach the doors of the Gym.

"Hello?" The boy shouts as he enters the Gym. Joey and I follow behind.

"You must be the next challenger!" A little-too-hyperactive girl shrieks as she bounces out of nowhere, almost knocking Gold down.

"Hey! Where'd you come from?" He shouts.

"My mom said I came from her stomach!" O…k?

I give Gold a glare that makes him know it'd be best not to continue where this conversation is currently headed.

"So… is your mother around?" Gold hesitantly asks.

"Why'd you wanna meet her?" Whitney asks back.

"Isn't she the Gym Leader?" The look on Whitney's face says otherwise.

"Oh, you're just like everyone else!" The Gym Leader pouts.

"Gold, I think that this girl here _is _the Gym Leader." I explain.

"What?! But… how can she be a Gym Leader? She's so young!" I have to admit that Whitney does look a little young…

"Gold, Red became the Kanto Regional Champion when he was eleven; no age is 'too young' anymore. Actually, no age was ever 'too young!'"

"Oh… Well, if you're the Gym Leader, then I'm here for my badge!" A little too self-confidant, aren't we, Gold?

"Hehe! I'll have you know that out of the past ten challengers I've had, not a single one of them has gotten a badge!" I can believe that. I can believe that oh so much.

"Well, this will be the end of your streak!" Gold, being his overly confidant self, walks over to one end of the arena while Whitney walks over to the other.

"Alright then! I, Whitney, Gym Leader of Goldenrod City, accept your challenge!" Whitney says, a little too anime-like for my liking.

"Quilava, let's go!" Gold sends out his Pokémon while Whitney sends out her Clefairy. The first time I ever fought her, I thought she was going to be a pushover due to how weak her Clefairy was. But when she sent out her Miltank…

"Flamethrower!" Quilava takes in a deep breath, allowing Clefairy some time to counterattack before he can finish his attack.

"Minimize!" That's worse than spamming Sand-Attack! Because you can't get rid of it by switching out your Pokémon.

"Fire!" Quite literally, I might add. Quilava fires and the flames envelop Clefairy in its entirety, burning and scorching the fairy Pokémon.

"DoubleSlap!" Clefairy runs up towards Quilava, ignoring its wounds, and begins slapping Quilava left and right, not letting up. I still don't get that about any of the "Double" attacks; they never hit just twice. They always hit three to five times for the enemy, and only twice for the player! Well, except for Pokémon with Skill Link.

New question: Do abilities exist here?

Quilava's been readying its next attack while I've been thinking to myself, and when I get back into the game he's launching said attack. Which happens to be another Flamethrower. Looks like Clefairy's also done another Minimize due to the fact that the fairy's even smaller than before.

This time, the Flamethrower passes above the Clefairy.

"Dammit! Quilava, Swift!" Oh, goodie! Quilava sends out stars upon stars that pelt Clefairy constantly. Clefairy begins to use Minimize again. I guess Whitney doesn't know that Swift is a move that never misses, or that Clefairy doesn't know itself either.

Even though Swift, on its own, does very little damage, the constant pelting of swifts eventually does enough damage to cause Clefairy to begin to wobble due to pain, and eventually topple over, fainted.

"Alright!" Gold cheers for both himself and Quilava.

Gold, the battle's only just begun.

"You made Clefairy hurt! Now you're gonna pay!" Whitney whines once more, returning her Clefairy and sending out her devil-cow.

"And this is where it all goes downhill…" I mumble to myself.

"What do you mean? Gold's doing great!"

"Joey, you have no idea. Just sit back and watch; you'll find out soon enough."

Now, I know that most people that I spoke to said that there's nothing bad about Whitney and her Miltank, but that's because they've all been lucky. They've been lucky in the fact that the Miltank they went up against didn't spam Defense Curl and Rollout one after the other. Or that Rollout kept missing them and they were able to defeat it before it landed too many hits. Or that they overleveled their Pokémon so that Rollout wouldn't defeat their Pokémon in a few hits. Anyways, back on topic. For me, whenever I fought Miltank, it used Defense Curl then Rollout and knocked out my Pokémon. What made it worse was that I usually played Nuzlockes, so I only had one chance or else that was it and there was nothing I could do.

I only hope that Gold won't have such a bad time like I did in the past.

"Is this the thing you were worried about? Ha!" Gold says while looking towards me.

"Quilava, Flamethrower!" The Pokémon takes a deep breath once more, giving Miltank some time to prepare its move, just like what happened with Clefairy…

"Defense Curl!" The Miltank curls up into a ball and begins… glowing? Yeah, begins glowing. Quilava then lets loose the Flamethrower onto the cow, giving little burn marks to its entire body. Not much, but it covers quite an area.

"See? Nothing to it!" Gold continues being his over-confidant self while Whitney gets ready for her next attack.

"Rollout!" Aaannnddd here we go. The Miltank remains in its curled up position for a few seconds after she orders the attack, then it begins pushing itself off, gaining speed little by little until its rolling at a good speed towards Quilava. The fire Pokémon's hit directly and its attack is interrupted.

"Maybe this is it…" Gold mumbles to himself.

"Flamethrower, and this time make it quick!" Quilava begins to charge up another Flamethrower, but before it can let it out Miltank's already turned around and charged into Quilava for the second time, this time Quilava barely being able to stand up.

"Quilava!" Gold cries out.

"I tried to warn him" I say to Joey and myself.

"Just keep at it for a bit longer! There's no possible way _it _could last much longer!" I beg to differ. Miltank just rolls around and comes back, charging towards Quilava once more. This time Gold's smart and asks for Quilava to jump out of the way instead of charge up another attack, but Quilava's still tired from all the hits and the dodging it's had to do.

"Flamethrower!" And there he goes again, back to the same routine. Quilava charges up his attack, Miltank comes rolling back towards him, and knocks him unconscious. I wonder if Aipom will have enough power to be able to finish the Miltank… Gold hasn't used him very often, so I'm not quite sure that he'll be able to do it.

Gold returns his Quilava and exchanges it for Aipom, the monkey ready to battle immediately.

"Aipom, we're doing this for Quilava!" Gold encourages his monkey.

"Fury Swipes!" Aipom charges towards Miltank before Whitney has a chance to order it to use another Rollout, or any other move for that matter, and starts scratching the cow repeatedly, way more than five times, I'm sure, until there are claws marks all over its face.

""Mil Mil!" …Mil Mil?

"Milk Drink!" I've always wondered how Miltank uses this particular attack… and now I wish I didn't. Miltank actually _does _bend over and begin to suck its… udders… while Gold and Joey both groan in disgust and Aipom continues scratching away. The additional scratching makes it so the Milk Drink doesn't heal as much as it would've, but it still healed the cow by a bit.

""Miltank, Rollout!" Again, once the Miltank finishes its previous attack it bends even further and curls up into a ball, preparing to roll. Aipom continues scratching it until the last second and jumps out of the way as soon as the Miltank begins to roll.

"Aipom, just dodge it as much as you can!" Now begins a game of bowling… sort of. Miltank rolls towards Aipom and Aipom dodges out of the way at the last second. Miltank curves around and comes back towards Aipom and the monkey does the same thing. Each time Miltank passes Aipom it's at a much greater speed than before, so the longer this goes on, the stronger Miltank's attack gets, and the more damage that will be done if Aipom's hit…

Aipom continues to dodge the rolls one after the other, although becoming more and more tired with each dodge. On the other hand, Miltank just continues to get stronger and stronger, the rolling becoming faster and faster until I can barely see where it is.

This eventually comes to an end with Aipom jumping over one of Miltank's rolls, Miltank not being able to turn in time and crashing into the wall.

Well, that's one way to defeat the cow.

"Mil Mil!" Whitney cries again, rushing towards the gigantic hole that her cow made in the wall.

"Yes! I won!" Gold begins cheering for himself, Joey going up to congratulate him on his win. Even though technically, Miltank made itself faint. But like with Confusion, this still counts as the other person's victory.

Gold walks over to Whitney and begins talking with her.

"So, since I won, that means I get another badge, right?" Gold asks the sobbing girl. I don't really think that's a good idea, Gold.

"You… You hurt Mil Mil! I'm going to tell on you!" Whitney returns her Miltank to its pokéball, gets up, and runs out of the Gym, leaving a confused Gold and Joey with me.

"What… just happened?" Joey asks no one in particular.

"That girl just ran off with my badge!" Gold shouts in anger.

"Gold, I don't think you should be as harsh as you're acting towards her right now. I mean, even you said yourself that you couldn't believe a girl as young as she is the Gym Leader. She probably doesn't have experience at being a Gym Leader, although she does have that Pokémon… Anyways, she also said that no one within the past… ten, was it? battles has defeated her, meaning she hasn't had to give away a badge in a long time. She's probably just not used to it. Give her some time. And by time, I mean let's head over to the Pokémon Center where she more than likely is, and then you can try to get it from her once she's healed her Pokémon." I explain. Gold nods and he follows me out of the Gym, Joey following behind him.

"Philippe, why do you always sound like you know what people are thinking and how they're feeling? It's getting kind of creepy…" Gold starts up a conversation.

"Well, I've been around people with many different personalities since I started my journey with Red, and since I didn't really get involved in anything I didn't _have _to – I let Red do all of the communicating when I had the chance – I really just sat back and observed everyone's behavior, everyone's emotions, and how everyone reacted. I can sorta tell how people are feeling and how they're like… but in Whitney's case, I guess it's because I was kind of like her when I first started my journey. I was crying all the time with Red, but that's probably because I was scared of losing him due to him being such an idiot some times." I explain further.

"And that's how you're able to tell what everyone's thinking?"

"I do have my off days. For example, hopefully, you."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Like I'd tell you, Gold!

We make it to the Pokémon Center – again – and walk through the doors to see a sobbing, although less than before, Whitney, holding her Miltank.

"I'm… sorry about earlier. I just don't like it when Mil Mil gets hurt. He usually never does, so I'm not sure what to do when he does…" She says.

"Well, even if you didn't know what to do exactly when he fainted, you at least came to the right decision and came here. Also, don't worry too much about your Pokémon fainting; they always do that. It's more common than you know. It's just that with your Miltank's Rollout, it doesn't happen often to him. Now, I have a question for you. Why are you so worried about Miltank fainting and not so much about Clefairy fainting?" I sense she's picked her favorite already. Me, I don't really have a favorite… I just have Pokémon that fill different parts of myself. Gengar is the powerhouse, Pikachu is my first, Cubone's my child, and Dragonair's my challenge. Not challenge in a bad way, but in a good way. It gives me something to try to achieve; a Dragonite. If she even wants to become a Dragonite, that is… I wonder if I can get Celebi to allow me to speak with them again, this time including Dragonair?

"It's because I'm used to Clefairy fainting, and Clefairy herself is used to fainting as well. I'm not so worried about her as much as I am Miltank… What if it hurt his self-confidence?"

"Whitney, the only thing that the loss would've done to Miltank is _build _his confidence. You see, the only reason why Miltank lost is because he was going too fast to control himself, therefore, he crashed into the wall. If he would've hit Aipom with any one of those turns, he would've won the match with just that one hit." Gold glares at me.

"I guess you're right… He just needs to learn how to control himself, right? Just like I do…" Wow. I can't believe that one loss has actually changed the girl this much. Although, one big occurrence to a person can change them a lot. I've had a lot of things happen to me since I arrived here, and look at me now! How I've changed from the beginning of things… How I've changed from the start.

"Philippe?" Gold snaps me out of my thoughts.

"What?"

"You were dazing again."

"I seem to do that a lot, don't I?"

"Yes, yes you do. You can do it after I've gotten what I came here for!" Oh, yeah…

"Whitney, the main reason that Gold came here was to get his badge. The main reason why Joey and I came here was because Gold was coming here. That, and the fact that we need to heal our Pokémon as well…" Whitney's eyes widen slightly when I mention the badge.

"Oh! The badge! That's right…" Whitney goes into her pocket and pulls out the case containing said badge, takes one out, and proudly hands it to Gold.

"Well, since you defeated me, I guess this is yours!" She announces.

"Great! That's three down, five to go!" Gold shrieks excitedly.

"Say… I don't mean to be rude, but you look familiar…" Whitney suddenly speaks up, looking towards me.

"Me? Oh, I don't think so. I haven't done anything of importance; why would you know me?" I'm being honest; I really didn't do much. It was Red and the rest who did most of the work; the only part I played in the entire situation in Kanto was getting Red out of trouble time and time again.

"No, I'm sure of it… Weren't you that person who was with the Heroes when they saved everyone from the Elite Four?" At least she isn't going "Ooooh!" and "Aaaahhh!" like Gold and Joey did. I'm not one for compliments…

"I didn't really do much… Everyone else did everything. I just stood there and watched. I'm not really one for doing things on-the-spot. I like observing, not doing. Although, I do do when I have to."

"Hm… Even if you didn't really do anything, you were still there and saw everything that went on, right? In that case, how about you come on my show?" Her… show?

"You have a show?" Gold asks.

"Yeah! I'm not _that _young!" Now's the perfect time to ask what I've been wondering!

"Then how old _are _you?"

"You never ask a girl what her age is! Anyways, I'm fourteen!" …What. This girl's as old as Red?

"You don't look fourteen…" Gold mumbles to himself.

"Thank you! Now, how about we get you to the studio?"

"Whitney, I'll have you know that I haven't agreed to anything yet." I point out.

"Philippe, I'll have you know that I don't care!" And she takes me by the hand, dragging me to the studio. I take Gold's hand and drag him along, Gold takes Joey's hand and drags him along as well.

* * *

Whitney's "studio" just so happens to be located within the Radio Tower. I wonder if we're going to have that scene with Gold and Silver… Or Crystal and Silver, if it comes down to those two to take care of the job. If there's even a job that needs to be taken care of.

"Our studio's right this way!" Whitney shouts behind her and she leads the way. We continue following her until we end up outside of what seems to be the room she was talking about.

"So, I haven't told you this, but I have another person who I do the show with! Her name's Mary!" I'm honestly quite surprised that Gold's eyes didn't bug out, and that he didn't scream both internally and externally at the mention of Mary. Didn't he used to be her biggest fan…? I guess that's just something else that's different now.

"Hey! Isn't that the girl who co-hosts with Professor Oak?" Joey speaks up for once.

"Yep! That's her! She's one of my best friends!" Whitney opens the door and walks in, not waiting for any of us to follow.

"Mary!" Whitney calls out to her friend who's in the middle of the room.

"Whitney! What are you doing here?" Mary responds.

"Well, I was at the Gym where this boy actually beat me!" Mary's face turns to one of shock, "And then I met one of the people who was with the Heroes! Although, he says he didn't really do much…" I didn't!

"So, you came here to tell me this?" Mary asks.

"Nope! I came here to tell you this _and _to bring them along with me!" Whitney gestures to the door and we all take that as our cue to walk in. Gold first, me second, and Joey third.

"Mary, this is Gold, Gold, this is Mary. Mary, this is Philippe, Philippe, this is Mary. Mary, this is…" Whitney hesitates.

"Joey." Joey informs her.

"Mary, this is Joey, Joey, this is Mary." Whitney continues on as if she hadn't stopped in the first place.

"It's nice to meet you all!"

"It's nice to meet you too!" Gold greets back.

"Hm… Philippe, I have a question for you." Mary asks.

"Alright, what is it?"

"I've heard that there's been Team Rocket members sighted in Johto, even after they were defeated in Kanto by the five of you. I was just wondering… have you seen any of them here?" She asks.

"Actually, I've been attacked by some of them already! Multiple times, to be precise." Mary has a small look of shock on her face.

"They've attacked you here? Wow… I never thought that Team Rocket would come here to Johto. I heard what happened in Kanto on the news while it was happening, and was glad that it wasn't happening here… Not that I was glad it was happening over there! I just never thought that it'd be possible for something like that to ever happen to us…" Well, you've got another thing coming if you think that way still. All regions do, really.

"I don't know what Team Rocket's doing here… All I know is that they're here and that they're still after me for being with the others when they were defeated. I didn't even do anything!" I have to make my point across; I. Did. Not. Do. Anything. So there's no need for you to come after me, Team Rocket!

"What do you mean you didn't do anything?" Mary questions further.

"All I did was _be _there; I didn't beat any of the commanders or chiefs, I didn't beat anyone of any importance. All I did was help Red and the others out of tough situations when they got themselves put in some. I had my Pokémon help them get out; that's all I did. Team Rocket may be mad at me for allowing the others to do what they did that led to their downfall, but I didn't do anything that directly caused them to fail." I explain.

"Ehehe… I can see why you'd be upset that they're chasing you, since they don't really have that good of a reason to do so. So, you're saying that they'd be better off spending their time chasing after the ones that _did _take them down, like Red and the others?" I seriously walked into that one.

"Well, if they decided to do that then they'd be facing a lot more trouble than chasing me. I'm not saying that I _want _them to chase after the others, because I don't! It's just… I think that they'd all be much better at defeating Team Rocket than I would."

"Philippe, stop saying you're no good! You stopped the ones who ran into us outside of Professor Elm's laboratory!" Gold interjects.

"Yes, but that was with the help of you-know-who." I remember at the last second that I really shouldn't say his name in front of people who don't know him like I – or Gold and Joey – do.

"He barely did anything! You're the one who did most of the work!" That's true… but I still don't know what would've happened if the grunt fighting Silver would've been fighting me as well. I still probably would've won, but… I just can't be sure what would've happened, since it didn't.

"Oh, Gold! I'm so sorry! I've been ignoring you this entire time!" Mary quickly apologizes.

"No worries! It's nothing, really!" So un-Gold like. Usually he'd want to be the center of attention!

"So, Gold… How long have you known these two for?" A bit random, but ok.

"I've known them for… Hm… I can't really put a time on it. We've been travelling since Newbark Town and I have no idea how long it's been!" I'd say a couple of weeks… a month at most. I don't really know either.

"All I know is that a lot's happened while I've been with these two! Funny story… When I first met them, I thought that they were burglars! I had a reason to suspect them, though! They were acting all sneaky-like, so why wouldn't I have thought that?" Because you shouldn't just accuse people with no real evidence?

"So, you thought they were burglars, yet you still decided to travel with them?" Mary asks incredulously.

"Well, they stayed the night first, then the next day we decided to head off. It wasn't like I decided to go with some complete strangers without knowing anything about them first!"

"Yeah, you instead decided to let said complete stranger stay over your house." I poke fun.

"Hey! I recognized who you were after I first came out of the house! It's not like I didn't know who you were at all! Anyways, someone who was with the Heroes in Kanto obviously wouldn't be a burglar!" Makes sense… I guess.

"And how about you?" Mary finally asks Joey.

"Uh… I was just dragged into all of this, I guess. I was asked to deliver something to the Professor and got caught up in the entire "burglar" thing when a Pokémon stole the package I was supposed to deliver. Philippe decided to help me, and that's when Gold ran out of his house. The Pokémon decided to land in a tree in his yard." Joey explains.

"Sounds like a lot's been going on since you got here, Philippe. And it sounds like a lot's been going on with you too, Gold and Joey. I can't imagine what I would've done if I had been in your situation… Especially the situation in Kanto." Mary sympathizes.

"I've been thinking about that myself. I've always told myself that if it had occurred under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have ever gotten involved with Team Rocket and the entire thing. I was sorta dragged into it like Joey was dragged into following us around. I met Red, we became friends, I began following him while he was collecting badges, and one thing lead to another and eventually we had Team Rocket after us every step of the way." I explain.

"Wow… How old were you when Team Rocket first starting hating you?"

"I was ten, Red was eleven."

"At such a young age…" Mary looks over towards Whitney and gives her a nod.

"Well… it seems that we've been here for long enough. I think that Mary would want to take a break, don't you think?" She says softly as she walks over to us, dragging us out of the room as she had done while dragging us in.

"So… what was that for? Why'd you drag us here if you just wanted to drag us out again?" Gold asks after we're out of the room.

"Yeah… didn't you say that you wanted us to be on your 'show'?" I add.

"You're so silly! That _was_ the show!" …What.

I…

I don't really know how I should be feeling…

Did she just say that…

We had already done the show?

"You mean, that little talk we had in there… _was _the show? It was being broadcasted?" Gold asks. Whitney nods excitedly.

"Yep! That conversation you had was the show! And let me say, for being put on the spot like that you three did excellent! Usually there has to be a rehearsal and planning, but you three did just fine without any of that!" She exclaims.

I guess I'm… kind of happy? that we did the show without her telling any of us. If I had known when the show was and when it was being broadcasted, I probably wouldn't have been able to gone through with it and have chickened out, or I would've actually done the show, but passed out during the middle of it. I don't really know which of the two is more likely.

"Hehe… sorry about not telling any of you. I just thought that it'd be much better if it was more personal! Which it was, by the way." I guess it was…

"Say, Gold… I have a question." Whitney asks out of the blue.

"Yeah? What?"

"Your Aipom's pretty fast to have been able to dodge Mil Mil…" Random… I wonder where she's going with this?

"Yeah? And?"

"Well, I've been thinking, ever since your Aipom avoided Mil Mil's attacks, I wonder if you're just as fast… I mean, you should be! You _did_ train your Aipom yourself, didn't you?"

"Of course I trained Aipom myself! What kind of trainer would I be if I didn't?"

"Hehe… Alright! Let's have a race to see who's faster!"

"That's random, but ok! You're on! I'm telling you, you'll never beat me!"

"We'll see about that!"

* * *

"Why am I doing this again…"

"Because I'm not gonna let her win!"

"I asked why am _I _doing this again…"

Yeah, seriously. Why? Gold and Whitney are having me be the one to begin the race and be the one who announces who the winner is, meaning that I have to be at the end before either of them reach it. How do they expect me to do that if they're the ones biking?

"Alright, whatever. I guess I have no choice… The race begins here, in the middle of Goldenrod, and will end at the sign right outside of the National Park. Got it?" Both nod their heads.

"Well, on your marks… Get set… Go, I guess." Both of the contestants kick off and begin pedaling the bikes they're riding as fast as they can, both of them seeming to be going at the same speed at the very beginning.

"Mary, do you know how I'm going to be able to get the end before either of them?" I ask the talk-show host standing beside me.

"Do you have a flying Pokémon?" She asks.

"Nope… I only have Pikachu, Gengar, Cubone, and Dragonair. Dragonair's been stuck in that form for a while…"

"Philippe, you don't know? Dragonair can fly, just as Dragonite can!" …What? She can?!

I send out Dragonair and get on the Pokémon.

"Alright. Well, Dragonair, looks like I just found out that you can fly. If you can… could you take off?" Dragonair looks at me strangely, almost as if she's amazed that I _didn't _know she could fly. She then begins to float in mid-air, raising herself higher and higher off the ground, the wings on either side of her head expanding and growing larger.

"I never expected that…" I say to myself.

"Alright, Philippe! Go after them and make sure you get to the finish before they do!" Mary yells at me.

"Alright, Dragonair! I'd like you to take me to the National Park up ahead. It's in that direction!" I point north of the city and Dragonair begins flying at a speed that if I had to guess, is much faster than the speed that either contestant was going as soon as the race started.

In just a couple of minutes Dragonair and I reach the National Park with Gold and Whitney being nowhere in sight. Same with Joey… He said that he wanted to walk to the Park himself, so we had no choice but to let him. Would've been much faster if he had gone with us.

I wait a couple of minutes more and eventually see the two contestants racing as fast as they can through the trees, almost bumping into one another due to their closeness.

"Well, let's see who wins, huh, Dragonair?" It also appears that Dragonair doesn't need to be kept in water… strange. Pokémon are surprising me more each and every day I'm here.

Gold and Whitney continue to pedal as fast as they can, both of them crossing the finish line at the same time.

"So, who won?!" Both shout at me at the same time.

"It was a tie." I state.

"What?! It couldn't have possibly been a tie! I was here _way_ before Whitney was!"

"Nuh-uh! We both reached the finish line at the same time! It's either a tie, or I won!" Whitney pouts, acting more like she did when we first met her at the Gym.

"Let's just say you both won, AKA, it was a tie. That way no one's upset, that way no one's upset at _me_, to be more precise. Anyways, it's the truth. Both of you crossed the finish line at the same time, and the only way to be able to tell who crossed it sooner is if there was a camera taking a snapshot. Which there wasn't. So, take it or leave it." Gold eventually gives in, reluctantly.

"Fine…"

"Alright, so, now what?"

"Well, I have to get back to the Gym. I've been gone ever since you won, and if another challenger stopped by… I really hope none did! Sorry, but I gotta go!" Whitney begins biking back towards Goldenrod without saying another word.

And look who passed Whitney on her way back to Goldenrod! None other than Joey!

"Joey, where have you been?!" Gold shouts.

"He wanted to walk here instead of taking Dragonair." I explain.

"Taking Dragonair? Wait… You mean she can _fly?!_" Gold exclaims with as much surprise as I had earlier.

"Yeah! I never thought she could, but she actually could! Mary told me!"

"That's amazing…" Joey says.

"Well, Joey, since you're here, we're all together again!" Gold puts an arm around his shoulder.

"Yeah, we're all together again…"

"So, now what do _we _do?" Gold asks.

"I'm thinking that we should just stop here for the night. I mean, it's getting late… the sun's already down!" That always happens; I'm preoccupied by something else, and then all of a sudden when I'm finished with said something, I realize where I am and when it is. And right now, it just so happens to be in the evening. I can't believe that they were able to bike through the forest without bumping into anything! Or maybe they did…

"Yeah, you're right. I don't wanna have to go through that forest again; I almost died in there!" Looks like he _did _almost bump into things.

"Luckily I bought a camping kit while at the Department Store!" Gold takes out the kit and begins setting up camp.

Looks like I have a little bit of time to myself again. Time to think like I did in all of my spare time long ago! Ah, long ago… Back when I was on Earth…

I had thought earlier in the day that it's been a long time since I first came to this world, and thought about how much I had changed. Yeah… I've changed a lot, haven't I? From the person I was when I first came here to the person I am now… It's been three years, so obviously I would've changed at least a little bit! But, I've changed a lot more than just a little bit. It's all thanks to Red, Blue, Green… Yellow… Gold… Even Silver and Joey, a bit… It's thanks to everyone that I've met here that I'm the person I am today. I wonder who I'd be if I had never been sent here… if I had stayed on Earth and had continued being the normal, boring person I was I probably would have always been. I'd be eighteen now… I'd be in my senior year of high-school if I had remained on Earth. It's amazing, really. Instead of being eighteen I'm only thirteen! With the mind of an eighteen year old, but still.

Red… Green… Blue… Yellow… Gold… Silver… Joey… Thank you, all of you, for making me who I am. I know I'm much better off here and now than I would've been if I had stayed. I know that you all changed me for the better. I know that you all have helped me, and I thank you for it.

Red, who taught me that I should better myself. Before I met him… I was content being myself. Well, not exactly content… but I thought that I was never going to be able to be any better than I was at the current time. I never thought that I would ever be able to do something with myself.

Green, who taught me to stick by my beliefs and not be swayed by anyone else. Green tried to seduce me before, but I don't entirely blame him. It's just who he is; someone who I never thought he'd be, but… It's him, and I don't want to change him. Especially if he's content with being who he is.

Blue, who taught me to express myself. Blue's just as perverted as I am, Blue's just as much of a shipper as I am, and she's telling everyone those things. She's perverted with the ideas of Red and I, and she ships every single person she comes across. She doesn't hesitate to tell me about any of them either.

Yellow, who taught me to not judge a book by its cover. At first I hated Yellow because I thought that she'd be my rival for Red, but it turns out that she's not even into guys! Yellow taught me that I should get to know someone first before judging them.

Gold… even though I've only known him for a little while, he's taught me to embrace who I am. Almost as Blue had done… Gold's even more perverted than her, and he acts that way all the time. He's his perverted self around anyone and everyone, and he doesn't care what people think about him.

Silver. I haven't learned much about him, and I haven't run into him much… But I'm pretty sure that I'll be learning something from him very soon. I mean, I've learned something from everyone else, haven't I?

Joey… He's the one that I never expected would be here, but he reminds me the most of myself out of everyone. He reminds me of me, before I came here and after. He had the same kind of lifestyle that I had when I was on Earth, although I had no Pokémon with me, obviously. I really want to continue helping him.

Everyone from Kanto… Everyone from Johto… thank you. Thank you for helping me… And I hope that I never have to leave you. My biggest fear right now is not dying, or being captured by Team Rocket, or anything that has to do with my own well-being.

My biggest fear is that I'll have to eventually leave you guys and go back to Earth. Even though I was told that everyone on Earth currently thinks that I've been dead for the past three years… I'm scared that I'll have to go back. I don't want to go back… I want to stay here! I want to stay here, with everyone and all the friends that I've met. I haven't even told Red how I feel about him…

"Philippe? Are you alright?" Gold snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Um… I'm… fine."

"Philippe, I can tell by your voice that you're everything _but _fine. Just tell me what's wrong!"

"I just… miss Red…" Gold's eyes soften when I mention Red.

"Ah… You really like him, don't you? You've been away from him for a while now, so it's obvious that you'd miss him."

"Gold, it's not that. I don't like Red…"

"What? But, you told me you had feelings for him and that he was being a complete idiot and didn't realize it!"

"Gold, I said I didn't like Red because I _don't_. I don't like Red… I love him."

* * *

Author's Note:

One year... One year since I started this fic. It honestly doesn't feel like it's been that long; it feels like I haven't even started getting into the fic! I think it's because there's still so much more to do. One year in, and I'm only on the third arc! My goal for the next year will be to write much more than the first, to write much more _and _much better.

At first, I started writing this fic because I was thinking of multiple scenarios that could happen if I was ever sent into the Pokemon world, and I really just wanted to stick with one scenario and go with it, see how far it'd go. I started writing it down, starting from the very beginning, and decided that I might as well upload it here and see what people think of it.

I know that I didn't do a special chapter for the one year anniversary, but I'm thinking about doing something special once I'm finished with the third arc. I've been wanting to re-write the first couple of chapters, maybe even the entire first arc. Not change any plot points or any major events, but re-write it so it'd be much better. I started re-reading the first chapter, and I have to say: It's horrible. Completely, utterly horrible. Nothing like how I am now. That's a good thing, I guess. It means I've improved. Anyways, yeah. I want to try to make the first arc better.

And, finally, I'd like to thank everyone who's been reading so far, and I hope that you'll continue to read for the years (I know that it's going to take years to finish, if it ever has a finish) to come.


	62. First Chance

"Philippe?"

…

"Phiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiiippe?"

…

"You can't be silent forever."

…

"Alright, I know what happened last night, but haven't you known that you've been in love with him for, like, three years now? Maybe even four? Why's everything so different now?"

"Because this is the first time I've actually told someone else that I love him… The first human I've told. I've only told you and the other Legendaries that I've met that I love him… and the only other people besides them are the ones that they've told… For everyone else, every human that I've come in contact with… up to this point they've thought that how I feel for Red… has just been an infatuation or a crush. Gold and Joey are the first two people I've told that… I actually _love _him. I know it's not just 'liking' him; I'm way past that stage. It's not a short-term thing, since I've been feeling this way for the past four years… It's love. I've known that, and now… I've finally told someone else that I do."

"That just means that you're one step closer to telling Red how you truly feel! Philippe, now that you've told someone how you really feel about him, it should be easier to come to terms with your feelings."

"But I _am_ at terms with my feelings. I've just… I just haven't told anyone because I'm scared that _they'll _tell him. I want to be the one to tell him; I don't want him to find out from someone else…"

"I see what you mean. But Philippe, don't you think it'd be best if you just told someone how you felt? Like you did just now; don't you feel better?"

"No… I feel like I've just made a huge mistake in telling Gold how I really feel about Red."

"Don't worry. Gold's not going to go blab to Red about it. He may be perverted and an idiot, but he's not that much of an idiot. Trust me."

"I just… I don't know what I'll do the next time I see Red. At the most, that'll be in two years… When we all go back to Kanto to fight Team Rocket once more. I'm scared…"

"Don't be, Philippe. Don't be scared about something you can't control. You're right; that'll be in two years at the most. And in two years, you'll be fifteen. You'll be only one year younger than you were when you were brought here. You'll be mentally twenty-one; mentally an adult. You'll have more experience then, you'll be able to think much more clearly. Don't worry about it for now; just wait until the time comes. You'll be back in Kanto, so you'll have Mew with you to help and guide you. You don't have to tell him the second you get back; wait a bit if you have to. Just take your time. No one's rushing you."

"But I'm rushing myself! I don't know what's going to happen and I don't know how much longer I have to be able to tell Red how I feel about him! What if something happens between now and the time that I actually tell him something that makes it so I'm not able to tell him? What if he finds someone else or… what if… something even worse happens?"

"Philippe that's just it; you don't know if something worse will happen. You don't know if something will happen to him or you, or anyone else around you. That's why you shouldn't be worrying about it. No one else is worrying about things; just look at Blue and Yellow! They're off doing who-knows what without a care in the world!"

"Yes, but that's _them. _They don't know what's supposed to happen and that the world's going to be put into danger several more times! They think that since Lance was defeated, everything's going to be fine now! They don't know!"

"Philippe, Team Rocket's sprung back up in Johto. Everyone knows that something's up. But do you see anyone running around in complete hysterics? No. That's because people aren't worried about what's going to come, and whatever's going to come will come. There's no stopping that. That's why no one's in a panic. They can't prevent it from happening, but they can do something about it when the time comes. That's why you should just forget about everything and just continue on with your life as a normal person, not as someone who knows the outcomes of everything."

"But I _can't. _I know what's going to happen, and I can't just forget it!"

"But that's just it, Philippe! You've been here for three years and already things aren't going as planned! It's because you're here that things have changed! Eventually you're going to be as clueless as everyone else is as to what's going to happen! You can bet that you're going to have to save the world from every villain and Legendary they enslave or capture, but that's it! That's all you'll know! You'll know that you'll have to save the world, but you won't know why or how! You won't know what role you'll play in saving the world. Just forget everything and stop worrying!"

"Celebi, I've been worrying my entire life! I can't stop! I just don't like not knowing what's going to happen!"

"_No one _knows what's going to happen. _Ever. _Even if a person thinks they know what's going to happen, they don't. Nothing goes as planned. _Ever. _That's why you don't worry about things and you wait until they happen. Because only when they happen do you know what's going to happen because it _already has."_

"I can't just wait for things to happen! Celebi, you don't-"

…

"Philippe, you're always thinking that people are secretly disliking you behind your back because you think that you're 'annoying,' right? You always think that people never want to be around you and that people dislike you, right? You're not annoying. The only thing that's wrong with you is that you're whiney and that you depend on others too much. I'm sorry that I have to be the one to say this, but if you don't grow up and start acting your age, your _mental _age, then you're never going to get any better. You always want to better yourself, right? You even said that everyone you've met so far has helped you in a specific way. You're right; they have. But Philippe, the most important thing that has to change about you is this; you have to stop being dependent on others and whining about everything constantly; you can't fear the future. You have to become independent. But, Philippe? You're the only one who can do that. You're the only one who can become independent. It's not that you have to give up Red and be independent in that sort of way. You just need to be able to do things on your own. Isn't that why you left for Johto in the first place? Or, the reasoning you gave Red and the others, at least. You gave them that reason, and you have nothing to show for it. You've still been depending on Gold, Joey, and even I for everything. You've been depending on Mew in the past for guidance, and now you're depending on me for guidance. You're depending on Gold and Joey, and everyone else that you meet on your journeys to help you. Yes, you'll have to travel with all of the 'main characters,' but that doesn't mean that you have to look towards them for guidance every step of the way. Philippe, you've shown that you can be independent once so far, when you spoke to Silver about Gold. You took the initiative that time. You need depend on people less. Do you understand?"

Yes… but you didn't have to slap me…

"Philippe, you're always worried about people not liking you. You're not an unlikable person; it's just that you depend on them too much, and that pushes them away. You've met people who are kind enough to see past that and care for you; you're lucky in that regard. Most people, even more so people from Earth, aren't like that. Red's a caring person in general, and so are Blue and Yellow, even Gold. Green's just perverted, and Silver's… you've seen him."

"I know, but…"

"Philippe, I'm sorry that I had to be the one to yell at you, but if I didn't then no one would've, and you never would've gotten any better. You would've continued depending on people for the rest of your life and never would've gotten anywhere."

"Is this from your future-seeing abilities?"

"No, this is from my people abilities. Even though I'm a Legendary, I've been alive long enough to know about most people's personalities. Philippe… please. Just… become independent."

"I'll… try…"

"No. Trying's not good enough. Philippe, you _have _to. We won't always be there for you. When you're in Hoenn with Jirachi, you won't be able to be in contact with her when she's on the run. You won't even be able to be in contact with me when I'm on the run!"

"But… I was in contact with Mew when she was on the run with Team Rocket…"

"That's because you and Mew share a special bond due to the fact that she's the one who brought you here. With all of the other Legendaries, we'll only be able to communicate with you when we're safe and not on the run. You'll have to do without us when the 'climax' of each region comes into play. That's why you need to be more independent. You won't always be with Gold or Silver or Ruby or Sapphire, or Red… or any of them! Sometimes you'll have to be alone and fend for yourself. I just want you to be able to know how to do that before the time comes."

"You're right… I'm sorry… I've just always been this way my entire life… I don't really know how to take care of myself."

"And I'm sorry that I won't be able to help you through it. But don't worry; that's what everyone else is for! I'm not saying that you should decline their help altogether. I'm just saying that you should do some things on your own. Speaking of which… I'm sensing a very good opportunity to do just that." Celebi waves its hands in my face and soon I'm falling… awake? Whatever the saying is.

* * *

"Philippe, wake up! It's an emergency!" And wake up I do, although a bit too quickly. When I'm straightened out my head begins to swim due to dizziness.

"What's wrong?" I ask, still a bit dizzy from being woken up so suddenly.

"What's this?!" Gold shouts even louder, hurting my ears further. I open my eyes and look at where he's pointing towards to see a couple of egg shells. I guess it's about time Togepi hatched.

"So, the egg hatched, great. Why'd you have to wake me up for it?"

"Because I have no idea what to do!" Gold's really panicking now. I guess he's not really the parental type. I feel bad for Silver when they want to have kids… adopt, to be precise. Well… strange things _have _been happening, so you never know…

No. That wouldn't ever happen. Mew wouldn't allow it!

…Or would she? I have no idea… Brain, stop getting off track!

"It's a baby _Pokémon, _Gold. Not a baby human. Pokémon have natural instincts, so there's not as much to worry about it than if it were a human. And it's a Togepi; Togepi are left in their shell as a protection precaution, so there's even less to worry about."

"How'd you know it was a Togepi? Actually, how'd you know its name?!"

"Gold, I've told you, I've been doing my research and researching new Pokémon. Which is our _job, _may I remind you? That's why Professor Oak gave us the PokéDexes in the first place." Gold's continuous outbursts have seem to woken Joey due to his stirring.

"What's going on?" He asks, just as groggily as I did when I was woken up by Gold.

"Gold's egg hatched. Nothing big."

"Nothing big?! Professor Elm asked me to hatch this egg because I'm good with Pokémon! Of course it's big!"

"No, he asked you to hatch the egg because you travelled with Pokémon. He thought that the egg would hatch much easier if it was around other Pokémon, as well as be in a travelling and battling, basically, a trainer, environment."

"Don't ruin my fun… So, what do we do now?" Well, since the sun's starting to rise…

"I think it'd be best if we returned to Goldenrod and called up Professor Elm. He'd probably like to know that the egg that he entrusted in you is safe and hatched." I can only imagine how worried Professor Elm must be about the egg… He probably thinks that Gold ate it or something.

"Alright, we'll go back to Goldenrod." We pack up the portable camp and head for Goldenrod once more. It takes less time than it did last night to get there because all three of us travelled on Dragonairs back this time. No Joey walking through the woods and no Gold biking through the woods. Dragonair drops us off in front of the Pokémon Center.

"Alright, you go to a phone and I'll heal our Pokémon." I say as I return Dragonair to her pokéball. Now, there's no real reason for me to heal the Pokémon since we already healed them right after Gold's battle with Whitney, but it's best to be safe than sorry.

I hand the Pokémon to the Nurse behind the counter and walk over to the phone that Gold's using. Professor Elm's already on the screen.

"Don't mention it!" Gold exclaims.

"No, no, it _is _a big deal! You managed to successfully hatch a Pokémon egg! Do you know how big of a deal that is?" Yes, because Gold had already told me what a big deal it was back at the camp. Looks like he's trying to play humble here.

"Now, let me see the new Pokémon, quick!" Gold steps away from the screen to allow Elm a view of the Togepi, and it's an interesting view alright… Togepi seems to have dumped Gold's backpack's contents onto the ground and has started playing with them… The cue stick, the empty (and full) pokéballs, the deck of cards that I had no idea Gold carried with him, and the dice. _Now _I know why Togepi has a naughty nature! He's exactly like Gold himself!

"Billiards, cards, and dice?! What's going on, Gold?!" Elm shouts.

"It must've picked it up while it was still in the egg! Believe me, I didn't purposefully teach it any of that!" Gold tries to defend himself.

"Well, I bet you would've if you had the chance…" I mumble to myself, loud enough for only Gold to hear. He glares.

"Just what have you been teaching your Pokémon?! How did this egg turn out to be such a delinquent?!" A delinquent egg… A bad egg? I sure hope not; I hate bad eggs. But, honestly, Elm. What did you expect from giving Gold an egg to raise?

"Gold, if this is what you're teaching your Pokémon then I don't want Togepi in your care any longer than necessary! There's a kind old couple not far from Goldenrod. I want you to go visit them and drop the Pokémon off there where it'll be _properly _raised!" Oh, the day-care couple!

"But, Professor Elm!" Gold begins.

"No buts!" Elm cuts him off.

"Fine…"

* * *

"I don't see why I have to give this guy up… I'm kind of getting attached to him…"

"That's only because he's exactly like you, Gold. It's almost as if he's your kid!" I exclaim.

"Yeah! But then… who'd be the mom?" Ohohoh…

"Silver?" I suggest. Gold's face turns a deep red, from anger or embarrassment, I don't know. Probably both.

"W-what?!" He exclaims.

"Oh, look! The day-care center!" I take off in the direction of the building in order to prevent Gold from being able to yell out his lungs at me. A couple of seconds after I took off running I hear a scream.

"Waaaah!" I turn around me and see Gold being knocked over by a bunch of baby Pokémon; Magby, Elekid, Cleffa, Igglybuff, Smoochum, etc.

"W…wait for me…!" I hear a softer, but still louder than normal, voice shout.

"An old granny?! Wait… don't tell me…! _You're_ the old couple?!" Gold shouts at the woman. Gold, you're never supposed to tell a woman she's old. Even if she is.

"Old… granny…?" Oh, he's in for it now…

"Who're you calling 'old granny'?! I prefer the term, 'pretty miss'!'" The woman shouts back at him.

"Are you serious?!" Yes, Gold. This woman's very, very serious.

"In return for your insolence, I want you to catch my Pokémon back for me! Hop to it!" She shouts as she hits Gold over the head with a stick.

"Come on, Joey. Let's go help him." I say to the boy standing beside me. He nods and begins chasing after the Elekid that got away. Well, I've had some training in catching run-away Pokémon back at the Oak lab when Red let all of his Pokémon loose. Back then there were way more Pokémon loose than there are now, so it should be much easier this time around!

Gold, Joey, and I run around for a good half hour trying to find the missing Pokémon. Still, much less time than it took back in Kanto. Eventually we find the last Pokémon and return to the day-care center.

"Oh, thank you all so much!" The old woman thanks us.

"Yes! Thanks to you three, we got all of the Pokémon back!" The old man also thanks us. Wow, we're being thanked a lot lately, aren't we? Well, except by Elm who instead yelled at Gold.

"You see, the fence was broken and these naughty youngins' took the chance to wander off. I must thank you again!" 'Youngins''? Who says that anymore?

"Ha ha… I guess you could say that I felt 'compelled' to do it…" Yeah, compelled alright.

"Well, we've heard from the Professor. You're Gold, right? The one who hatched the egg that we gave to him?" Gold nods his head.

"Hm… looks like the egg hatched alright." The old man says as he looks at the Togepi in Gold's hands.

"Elm claims that the eggs found here possess unimaginable capabilities… although, to us, the eggs are just as much of a mystery as they are to him! However, around the time that this egg appeared, we did take in two new Pokémon…" Probably two Togetic or Togekiss. More than likely Togetic, since they _are _somewhat native to here… Togekiss require a sort of stone to evolve into that form. A… shiny stone, I think?

"Ever since then I've tried to see if any more eggs would appear… but none have."

"Alright then! Well, since we've dropped off the Pokémon, I guess our work's done here! How about we go, Philippe?" Gold says suddenly, a bit too eager to leave.

"Now, now, you three just got here! Why not stay for a little while longer? Don't you want to learn some tricks for raising Pokémon?" I'm not sure if that'd help Gold much, but I'm sure it'd help me! Joey seems to think so, too, because he agrees to wanting to learn some things. Gold's the only one who doesn't, and continues to try to argue with the woman. Gold, you're not gonna win, so why don't you just give up?

"Fine…" Gold eventually gives in after failed attempt after failed attempt at arguing with the woman.

"Don't worry, boy! Not only will these tricks teach you how to raise your Pokémon better, but they'll also help your Pokémon become stronger!" This makes Gold's eyes light up.

"Stronger? You mean… be able to win more battles?" Duh, Gold.

"Yes!" The woman exclaims.

"Maybe now I'll finally be able to beat Silver!" Still on about Silver, aren't you, Gold?

The old woman leads us into the day-care center, down some stairs, and into a basement of some sorts. Uh-oh… If I remember correctly…

"Alright! Your first task is to defeat these Pokémon!" The woman turns on the lights and here appears a multitude of fully-grown, fully-evolved Pokémon.

"W-wait a second! You can't be serious!" Gold exclaims. His shouting seems to have caught the Pokémon's attention, and they begin chasing him around the room.

"Oh, but I am, sonny! You see, these are my _elite _Pokémon! They're a special batch of Pokémon specially chosen to assist you in your training! Now, stop your whining and put some back into it!" Joey and I both take a couple of steps back and watch Gold begin his training.

"What?! You traitors!" He calls out to us.

"You're the one who needs training, Gold! Not me!"

"Then what about Joey?!" Right…

I put my hand on Joey's back and give him a push.

"What?! What're you doing?!" He shouts at me.

"Gold's right; you need some training too!"

"Traitor!" Wow, being called a traitor by two of my friends. Must be a new record!

"And so do… you!" And here's my turn. The old woman puts her hand on _my _back and pushes _me _forward, into the crowd of Pokémon. Gold's distracted two with his Quilava and Aipom and Joey's distracted another with his Rattata, but there's still more for me to have to distract myself.

There's Tauros, Donphan, Primeape, Kangaskhan, and Girafarig in total. Alright… Quilava has Donphan, Rattata has Tauros – Bull against a Rat… how funny – and Aipom has Primeape, leaving Kangaskhan and Girafarig to me.

I send out Cubone to fight Kangaskhan and I send out Gengar to fight Girafarig. Cubone because he needs more training, and Gengar because… Well, Dark beats Psychic, obviously. And it's only due to my research and researching for Oak that I know that Girafarig is a Pyschic _and Normal _type Pokémon, AKA, Ghost attacks won't work on it.

"Cubone, Bonemerang! Gengar, Dark Pulse!" Cubone throws its bone at the Kangaskhan and hits it dead on, knocking it back a few feet, and Gengar throws a pulse of Darkness – Duh – towards the Girafarig. The pulse is basically a shadow ball, although longer and with a huge hole in the center. Like a donut! Although, the ring's much thinner and the hole's larger… But the ring actually hits the Girafarig, even _with_ the giant hole and knocks it back quite a bit due to the effectiveness. Attacks here really like knocking things back, I guess.

Both Pokémon are out for now, but they'll probably wake up soon… I decide to take this break to help Gold and Joey. Donphan's burned from Quilava's blue flames and Tauros's… still up and charging towards the rat, Rattata running away. I have Gengar go assist Rattata on its own and keep Cubone here with me, just in case these two decide to wake up.

"Cubone, Bonemerang once more. This time, try to hit both?" You know what, forget waiting. Better to be safe than sorry like I always say! Cubone throws its bone at Girafarig and Kangaskhan, both being hit just as they begin to wake up. A little too late, aren't you two? The two are knocked back down, and this time are knocked out.

I turn to Gengar once more and see that he's really helped Rattata out, Tauros running _away _from the Ghost. Gengar's shooting mini lightning bolts from its fingertips. Stop messing with the Pokémon and knock it out already!

"Thunder!" Gengar stops wagging its fingers back and forth and points both towards the Tauros, a huge, single bolt blasting forth towards the bull and knocking it off its feet.

"Alright. Three down, two to go…" I mumble to myself, turning towards Gold. Donphan's even more burned now and Aipom's just annoying the life out of Primeape by running around and slapping it whenever it gets too close.

"Gengar, Psychic!" Gengar wags its fingers, like it does with most attacks, and sends the psychic wave towards Primeape, the monkey holding its hands to its head like it has a major headache. I look towards Donphan and have Cubone use a Bonemerang to knock it off balance like the Tauros was knocked off balance earlier. Donphan's knocked out and Primeape still has its headache.

"Gold, finish it!" Gold has Quilava join Aipom in the attack and has it use one last Flamethrower, completely engulfing the Primeape and knocking it unconscious.

"What a show you three put on!" The woman exclaims.

"What did you do?! We could've died!"

"But we/you didn't!" I say as the same time as the woman does.

"Don't encourage her!" Gold yells at me.

"Alright! You three have just finished the first task I have planned for you! How about you get started on the second one?" The woman begins to get up and leave the basement.

"What?! But what was that battle supposed to do?!"

"It gave our Pokémon experience, Gold. Isn't that what _all _battles are supposed to do? And because it was against fully evolved Pokémon, it gave more experience to ours than it would have if they were first stage evolutions." I explain.

"Precisely! I say, your friend's much smarter than you are."

"Hey!" Well, don't most people say that? Or, if not say, think?

"Let's head to the library next!" The woman grabs my hand, I grab Gold's, and Gold grabs Joey's after we return our Pokémon to their respective balls.

We're dragged for quite a while until we end up in the so called "library."

"This is Grandpa's 'Resource Library.' It has information on almost everything!" The woman exclaims.

"The Directory of Winners from the Annual Pokémon League…" Gold says to himself.

"Hey! Philippe, I see Red here!" My ears perk up at the mention of his name and I rush over to his side.

"All of his Pokémon are here, too! Wow… there's a lot of evolved ones!" Gold states the obvious.

"Of course; it's the Pokémon _League. _They're all supposed to be in their final forms! And especially since he's the Champion…"

"Yes! And this Raising Facility is famous for raising Champions!"

"Yeah, you say that-" Gold's cut off by Grandpa rushing in in hysterics.

"Grandma! An earthquake hit Ecruteak City and everyone's in a panic! People are being evacuated, but no one knows what's going on down there!" Yeah, you're in a panic as well. But… isn't Ecruteak where the Burned and Tin Towers are? Does that mean that Ho-Oh's going to be mad? I sure hope not… But it also means that we're supposed to go there now! Aren't we always supposed to be wherever there's something major happening? That means that we'll soon run into Suicune, Entei, and Raikou as well… and Eusine! So much happening in such a short amount of time…

"How about you three go ahead and check out what's happening? You see, we know this girl who's supposed to have reached Ecruteak today, and we have no idea what's happened to her! Her name's Jasmine." Jasmine!

"Why are we supposed to do something like that for you? Why don't you two go yourselves if you're so worried about her?"

"Gold, she's a Gym Leader." I inform him.

"In that case, let's get going!" Oh wow… Such a change in attitude Gold, in such a short amount of time.

"Alright, alright, we'll be going just as soon as we find out what this girl even looks like." I say.

"But, you knew her name. Don't you also know what she looks like?"

"No, I don't. I know the names of all of the Gym Leaders: Falkner, Bugsy, Whitney, Morty, Chuck, Jasmine, Pryce, and Clair." I list.

"Oh… Well, let's go!" Gold rushes out the door.

"I'd like a picture of this girl, please." I ask the old woman before heading out myself. She hands me the picture, I thank her, I get Joey and we both leave after Gold.

* * *

"Wow… what a mess!" Of course, Gold. They just got hit by an earthquake; what do you expect?

"Where do you think she could be?" Joey asks.

"If you ask me… there." I point towards a giant tower with a light flashing at the very top. Probably either the Burned Tower or the Tin Tower… not sure which from this distance.

"Let's go check it out!" All three of us begin running towards the tower and… it crumbles.

"W-what?!" Gold exclaims.

"Don't tell me… the girl was… in there…?" Joey says in shock.

"She could still be in there; only one floor collapsed. The light was from the top as well; that probably means that Jasmine's there too. Let's just hurry before any more floors collapse, shall we?" I gesture towards the newly-formed entrance into the tower and we all rush in.

"From here on out we just go up, I guess." We follow whatever hallways that aren't completely destroyed and demolished and slowly make our way up the tower, climbing on and over the rubble when it's in our way and up through the holes in the floor. We eventually make it pretty high up to the point where the tower's shaking beneath us.

"We better hurry before there's another collapse!" No duh, Joey.

There's a bright light coming from the end of the hallway, as Gold points out, and we rush to it. As we enter the room…

"Silver!" I thought it's been a long time since we last saw him!

"Hm?" Is all he says as he turns towards us, Jasmine in his arms.

"W-what did you do to her?!" Gold, can you be any more stupid?

"Nothing. I merely found her here and thought I should extend a helping hand." At least he's not yelling at Gold or calling him stupid like he used to. That's progress!

"Give me a break! _You? Help? _Don't make me laugh!" No one's laughing, Gold.

"He might really be here to help. You don't know that. All we did was pop in here ourselves and found him like this. You know, if we arrived here first and you were holding her in your hands and Silver was to just pop up out of nowhere, he could be saying the same exact thing to you." I say, Gold glaring at me.

"Here. She's all yours, if you don't trust me." Silver drops Jasmine in his arms and turns around, but not until I put an arm on his shoulder and turn him _back _around.

"Remember what I said and you promised last time?" Now's his turn to glare at me.

"You knew we'd meet again… didn't you?" He asks.

"Yep! Now, please. Just give him a chance." Silver sighs and gives in.

"Only because you forced me to promise." I'm becoming more and more manipulative, just like Blue!

Oh Arceus… I don't want to turn into Yellow who was completely transformed by Blue!

"Hey, what's this?" Gold asks as we walk back towards him, the boy pointing towards a statue of Ho-Oh.

"It's Ho-Oh, one of the two legendary flying Pokémon of Johto." Not really sure what their "duo" name is… Have to check with Elm or the PokéDex… or even the Legendaries themselves once I run into them.

"One of the two? Who's the other?" Joey further questions.

"Lugia. Ho-Oh and Lugia. Ho-Oh, the Fire type, and Lugia, the Psychic type. Ho-Oh's feathers are seven colors and it's said that a rainbow forms behind it as it flies. Lugia's known as the 'Guardian of the Sea,' and that it lives at the bottom of the sea because its powers are too great." Gold stares at me with a blank stare.

"…What?"

"Research, Gold. I learned all of this from research. I didn't just pick up some random fantasy or fictional novel from Goldenrod. Well, some were, but I also picked up some history and research books. That's how I was able to save Red all the time from being killed by wild Pokémon and Team Rocket; I knew how to best get out of the situation from studying. Which is something you should be doing, really. Isn't that why Elm gave you a PokéDex?" I remind him once again.

"You three… shouldn't we be getting out of here? The building could collapse at any moment…" Silver speaks up.

"Right, right, sorry. Let's get going." All four of us now begin to leave the room, Gold still carrying Jasmine. A couple minutes of walking down later we begin to feel the tower shake more than it did before.

"What's going on?!" Gold exclaims.

"I believe a landslide." Good observation, Silver. Now, how about you help us get out of here before we're all trapped?

We begin to run – in Gold's case, awkwardly with a girl in his arms – but we don't get out of the hallway before part of the ceiling collapses on us. In less than a second there's a flash of light and Silver's Ursaring is out holding up the part of the ceiling that would've crushed us.

"I think we should be close enough that jumping out the window won't kill us." I say to the rest while turning left and beginning to head out of the tower.

"What?! Philippe, don't be stupid!" Joey shouts.

"I'm not. I'm being logical. We've been running for a good amount of time, haven't we?" I stop talking there and jump out, sending Dragonair out beneath me, the Pokémon catching me as I fall. Although, I was right… the fall isn't far enough to kill us. Joey follows my lead and jumps out as well. I have Dragonair move herself to be underneath Joey, catching him as well. Same goes for Silver who jumps out next, and Gold who jumps out last. Dragonair begins to sink involuntarily under the weight of the five of us, but doesn't go plummeting into the ground. We eventually reach the ground and all of us get off, I thank the Pokémon and return her to her ball.

"See? Didn't I say that it wouldn't be too bad of a fall?"

"It was only do-able due to your Pokémon being out. Otherwise, we would've died." Thanks for being a downer, Silver.

"So… who do we have here?"

My.

Arceus.

Do they really have to be here _now? _Right after I got Silver to agree to join us, even if only for a little bit?

"I thought this place would've been deserted… but look who we have here! The two brats… and the even bigger brat!" I'm guessing I'm the bigger brat?

"You'll pay for what you've done to us!" The man waves his hand and multiple Pokémon come flying out from all around us, Cubones, Ledyba, Drowzee, Pokémon that you wouldn't normally expect Team Rocket members to have.

"Well, looks like it's time for part two of our training, huh, Gold? You too, Joey and Silver!" I send out all four of my Pokémon, Dragonair included, now that I know she can fight out of water. Gold sends out his Quilava and Aipom, Joey sends out his Rattata, and Silver sends out his Sneasel, Ursaring, and Croconaw.

"Alright, now let's show them what we've got!" I have Dragonair begin with Dragon Rage, Pikachu begin with Thunder, Cubone begin with Bonemerang, and Gengar begin with Shadow Ball. The other three go their own ways and fight using their own styles. We all form a weird circle-like shape around Jasmine. I really hope she doesn't get hit in all of this…

"You… Philippe… You know what caused this earthquake, don't you?" I really hope I guess right…

"Team Rocket?" Silver nods.

"Yes. You guys created this earthquake; it wasn't a natural disaster, it was on purpose!" Silver accuses the members of Team Rocket.

"Ha ha… what a brilliant deduction, dear boy! And you are…?" Didn't he call him a brat earlier?

"Hm…? Wait… you're the boy from Slowpoke Well!" Didn't you recognize him earlier? Or maybe he just recognized him from Elm's lab… that is, if he was one of the three there. I have no idea which goon is which.

"I'll make you pay for what you did that day!" But… aren't we already fighting your Pokémon?

Pikachu continues to Thunder the flying Pokémon, zapping them out of the air, Gengar continues Shadow Balling anything that moves – that's not on our side, mind you, – Cubone continues Bonemeranging, the bone hitting enemies on its way to and way from its destination, and Dragonair's Dragon Rage continues to damage everything it touches as well.

Gold, Silver, and Joey all seem to be doing well as well. They've gotten rid of a couple of the Rocket's Pokémon themselves, but there's just so many of them!

"You seem to be doing quite well for yourselves… Let's see how you do against this!" The grunt sends out another Pokéball, this one releasing the Pokémon above our heads. Uh-oh… We scramble out of the way from the giant Pokémon landing, and even though we get a couple of feet away before it lands, we're still knocked to the ground from the impact.

"A Piloswine!" Yes, that's what it is; a giant Piloswine.

"Run for it!" Gold states the obvious, yet again. We begin running from the Pokémon, who actually can run quite fast, as it's catching up to us pretty quickly.

"Piloswine's the only Pokémon capable of both Water and Ice attacks… Quilava won't work on it, Gold." Silver warns him.

"Then let's see what Pikachu can do!" Pikachu runs behind me, positioning itself between the Piloswine and us, and lets out a Thunder. The Thunder knocks it off course a bit, but it soon rights itself.

"That didn't work…" I mumble to myself as Pikachu catches up with us once more.

"Philippe… does your Dragonair know Whirlpool?" Silver asks me.

"I don't know, but I can try! Dragonair!" I ask Dragonair to use Whirlpool and apparently she does; the orb on her head begins glowing and water begins rising from the depths of the earth, mixing with the sand on the surface, creating a quicksand.

"Alright, that works too."

"What?! Grrr… Those kids are too smart for their own good! Someone, get them!" How about someone get _you _instead?

Which is exactly what Gold does. He appears behind the grunt with both of his Pokémon, Joey appearing a second later with his Rattata.

"I guess I don't know my own strength!" He laughs.

"Everyone! Send out your Pokémon!" You mean all the Pokémon that we defeated weren't all of them?

"That's enough." A female grunt – who's wearing a different outfit than the rest, so I'm guessing that she's not a normal grunt – stops him.

"There's no need to get even with them. We've achieved our mission by collecting all the necessary information about Ho-Oh's instincts at the Bell Tower." The other grunt stares at her for a couple seconds before yelling:

"Retreat!" The rest of the grunts follow him as he turns around and runs, the female grunt soon following after.

"Dammit! And we almost had them!" Gold shouts in frustration.

"Don't worry Gold, we'll get them at another time. We always seem to run into them, don't we? Or, at least, I do."

"Yeah… We'll have plenty more opportunities to get them!" Joey exclaims. I turn around to see what Silver has to say to find him trying to sneak off… again.

"Silver, why are you always so desperate to get rid of us? Or, Gold, at least."

"Because I don't see the need to be around any of you. I have my own goals, you have yours. Why do we need to interact with one another?" He states.

"What if our goals and your goals intertwine? What then? What if we _have _to work together to meet _both _of our goals? You'd have to learn to put up with us then. Which brings me to my next question… what exactly _are_ your goals? If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I'm just curious." I ask.

"…Not now. I won't tell you're my goals now. But… only because you had me promise will I continue to stay with you. For a little while. Until Gold gets on my last nerve…" Yay! Silver's staying with us! I really don't think that he's staying with us _just_ because I "forced" him to; he's used that excuse multiple times already. I think he's starting to like Gold!

Phase one, complete!

* * *

Author's Note:

Help. Help. Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp! I think I'm getting back into the rut of melodrama that I was stuck in for so long before! Unless you people like that. I don't know why you would; emotional stuff's good, but not when it's overdone to such a degree as this. Or, how it was done towards the beginning. I was _really _bad back then. Anyways, read, review, etc. etc. Tell me what you like, don't like, suggestions, anything, really.


	63. Celeste

"But come oooooooonnnnnnn…"

"I said no. How many times do I have to say it for it to get through your head?"

"I don't know… how many more times do you think?"

"No."

"But why not? We've had them before!"

"Only when it was a life or death situation. This isn't, therefore, there's no need for one."

Gold's been trying to get Silver to agree to have a battle with him for quite some time now… I don't even know how long, to be exact. All I know is that he's been getting on Silver's, Joey's, and even my nerves all this time.

"Gold, I'll have a battle with you if it'd shut you up." I say.

"But I want a battle with him, not you!"

"Why? Am I not good enough for you?" I put my hands on my hips for added emphasis.

"No, no, no! It's not that! I just want a battle with him! We've never had a battle just to battle; the only time that we've battled each other is when he was trying to get away, so they were never finished! I want a real battle this time!" He turns back to Silver and begins pestering him some more.

"Gold, how about you let me talk to him?" I say to the boy once I pull him aside.

"Yeah, maybe you'll have more luck than I am. You're the one who got him to stay with us after all! I'm starting to wonder…"

"Wonder? Wonder what?" With his mind, I'm scared to know the answer.

"Nothing, nothing. Just, try your best!"

I walk over to Silver and begin talking with him.

"So, Silver, what do you think of Gold so far?"

"He's turning about to be worse than I expected; why did I agree to this again?"

"Because I forced you to. And I'm going to keep you here until you learn to put up with Gold." Because they will end up together, dammit!

"That wasn't part of the deal. The deal was for me to give him a chance. I've given him that chance, and I still find him incredibly annoying and someone I would never wish to be around." Harsh.

"Silver, I learned to deal with Gold, so you'll be able to as well."

"I'm not seeing how that's even possible, given how he acts. He's immature and childish; how do _you _put up with him?" And there he goes, throwing the question back at me.

"It's because I've been around people who are worse than him. Don't give me that look; I know that you believe that Gold's the worst person to be around, but there are people who are worse. Gold's perverted, although you haven't seen that side of him yet, but I've been around other people who are even more perverted. Namely, Green and Blue." Silver's eyebrows lift at the mention of Blue.

"Green's more of a sexual perverseness, while Blue's more of a… subtle perverseness. She tries to pair people together who she thinks would go well together. So far, that's been herself and Yellow, and Red and I. But, back on topic. Green's much more perverted than Gold is, and I had to deal with him. And speaking of your speaking of 'immature and childish,' Red was actually worse in some ways than Gold is. Red acted without thinking, causing both him and I to be in some pretty tight situations that I had to get us out of. But, look at him now! He's nothing like he was the first time I met him. He's nothing like he was when he beat the Pokémon League! I'm pretty sure being put into many life threatening situations changes a person like that. And I'm betting that Gold and I and Joey will be put in many more… So, Gold will change. How long it'll take him, I'm not sure. But you should just learn to put up with him for now, at least until he does." I explain to Silver.

"You talk too much, you know that?" Yes, yes I do.

"Not so much 'talk too much' as it is 'taking too much time to explain something.' And yes, I know I do."

"Silver, just battle him. Why are you so bent on not doing so? It'll get him to shut up, at least. And if you win, it'll get him to shut up even more!"

"Or make him want to battle me even more. If I win or if I lose, he'll still bother me. If I win, he'll bother me, saying I cheated or that he wants a rematch, and if I lose, he'll bother me saying how much better he is than me, which I don't believe will happen whatsoever. Either way, it's a lose-lose situation."

"And if you don't do either and don't battle him at all, it's still a loss since he will continue bugging you until you accept. And you know that he'll keep bothering you until you accept because that's what he's _been _doing. You don't know if he'll continue to bug you if you win or lose, so why not take the chance? It'll also give your Pokémon experience; it's not _entirely _bad." Silver sighs.

"Fine, fine. I'm thinking that your days in Kanto are having an effect on you; the days you spent with Blue had her rubbing off on you. She's the only one who's been able to change my mind." I feel special.

"Well, go ahead and start the battle then!" Silver walks up to Gold and agrees to the battle, Gold jumping up and down at his mini-victory. Silver sighs again.

"Alright. This will be a two-on-two match, one Pokémon at a time, first to knock out both of their opponent's Pokémon wins, blah blah blah. Normal rules. Send out your first Pokémon and begin!" Both Gold and Silver start off with their starter, Gold with Quilava and Silver with Croconaw. Silver's a bit surprised at the fact that Quilava has blue flames rather than red flames – he must've not been paying attention in the past due to all the life threatening situations he's been in with Gold.

"Water Gun!" Croconaw sends out a small jet of water towards Quilava's flames, the water doing nothing to douse them. Silver must've been testing to see how hot the flames are… I don't think he would've used such a weak attack on a normal Quilava.

"Use Swift!" Quilava sends out the multiple stars that come out of Swift towards Croconaw, each star hitting one after the other, doing very little damage in the end. At least it was a sure-fire hit.

"Ice Fang!" Croconaw dashes towards Quilava – as fast as it can, at least – and bites down on the Pokémon's skin, leaving marks that turn blue after a couple of seconds.

"Fire up!" The flames on Quilava's back heat up and grow to an even greater intensity than the blueness showed it was and Croconaw jumps back at the heat. A water Pokémon jumping away from heat… that's something.

"Lava Plume!" Quilava's flames grow even higher until some of the flames detach from the main body and fly towards Croconaw, scorching the skin somewhat and scorching the ground around him.

"Gold, let's not burn down this entire city, shall we? It's already been through enough as it is!" Gold grins at me, then goes back to his battle.

"Croconaw, Crunch!" The blue Pokémon once again rushes towards Quilava and bites down, hard, into the Pokémon's skin. Croconaw bites down into the marks that it created from the Ice Fang not long ago, deepening the marks and causing Quilava to finally faint. First time I see a Pokémon faint without growing tired first.

"Dammit!" Gold shouts. Silver smirks, and Gold returns Quilava back to his pokéball.

"It's all up to you, Aipom!" Gold sends out his monkey and orders it to use Scratch right away. The monkey runs up to Croconaw and begins to scratch mercilessly.

As soon as Croconaw begins to attack back, Aipom jumps out of the way and dodges the Crunch.

"Nasty Plot!" I seriously wonder what Gold teaches his Pokémon… I mean, the description of Nasty Plot is "The user stimulates its brain by thinking bad thoughts."

"Croconaw, Thrash!" Croconaw begins charging towards Aipom and crashes into him, knocking him off balance completely.

"Mud-Slap!" Aipom rights himself and picks up a wad of mud using his tail, then proceeds to throw it at Croconaw, blinding him somewhat. Croconaw continues to thrash around and charges towards Aipom again, although due to the beginning of fatigue and due to the mud in its eyes, it misses Aipom. Aipom throws another wad of mud, blinding it even further, and the next charge misses once again. Aipom throws one last time and Croconaw falls, both from the attacks and from exhaustion.

"Alright!" Gold exclaims.

"Yes, that's one down, one to go for both of you." Although Aipom's a bit tired from finishing off Croconaw, but I won't say that.

Silver sends out his second Pokémon – Sneasel – and continues the match. He starts out the second half of the battle by having Sneasel use Icy Wind, creating a huge blast of… well, Icy Wind. The wind freezes Aipom and causes his movements to become more sluggish, slowing him down.

Once the wind lets up, Gold has Aipom use Agility to counter the decreased speed from said wind. Aipom's back to moving like it was before, but Gold's action is soon countered with another Icy Wind. I really hope this isn't going to turn into another spamming battle.

"Slash!" Silver decides to switch it up and has Sneasel race towards Aipom while the monkey's using another Agility, slashing the monkey once it reaches it. Aipom's hit dead-on, then jumps backwards in order to avoid being hit a second time.

"Fury Swipes!" Aipom rushes back towards Sneasel and starts scratching everywhere, but the chain's soon broken when Sneasel uses Metal Claw. Sneasel's claws turn a bright silver color, then come down on the monkey's body, knocking it back several feet. I told Gold that he shouldn't be too happy at fainting Silver's Croconaw… Silver's had Sneasel for much longer than he's had Croconaw, so it'd be logical to expect that this Pokémon would be stronger than it.

"Looks like Silver's the winner." I announce. Gold stares at me as if I were crazy.

"No he isn't! He had to have cheated!" Here Gold goes again, being a sore loser.

"Gold, listen to me. Silver won. That's it. You were the one who asked to battle him, so you should just accept the fact that he won and let it go. You can always have a rematch later on once you've trained some more. You should know that you can't win _every _battle." I explain.

"But… But… It's _Silver!_" At least he didn't call him a thief this time. I sense more progress!

"And? He's a trainer, just like you. What makes him any different from any other trainer you've fought? Besides the fact that most of them have either been Gym Leaders or Rocket Grunts…"

"That! They've been Gym Leaders and members of organized crime! And _Silver _still beat me, even after I beat all of them!"

"Well, technically, with Whitney, you would've lost if her Miltank hadn't of lost control…" That only makes Gold whine even more.

"But… gah!" Gold stomps off, Joey following right behind him.

"I told you this would happen." Silver says in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"We'll just see how long it lasts. Gold hasn't lost a battle in a while – besides against me, but that's to be expected. And speaking of losing to me… Gold's probably now going to want me to battle you, just to see you lose. Ah… sometimes it's hard putting up with him."

"That's why I asked you earlier why and how do you? Wouldn't it be easier for you to just leave him and move back to Kanto with everyone else?" Silver suggests.

"I ran into Blue and her girlfriend in Goldenrod earlier." This… I can't even describe the look on Silver's face at this bit of information. I'm guessing he didn't know that Blue was into girls?

"W…wha…" Silver stutters. It's such a good feeling to be able to make Silver act completely out of character like this.

"So you don't have to worry about being into guys yourself." You know what, screw it. I'm telling him, just so he doesn't have to worry as much. I know that I felt so much relief when I found out that I wasn't the only one in our little Kanto group.

"What… How did you…" At first face is one of confusion, then it turns into a face of rage.

"She… told you?!" He practically shouts. Well, as close to shouting as Silver can get.

"Actually, no. She didn't. I guessed, and looks like I guessed right! Silver, I've been around myself, I've been around Green, I've been around Blue, Red, Yellow, and Gold. I'm actually a magnet when it comes to these sorts of things… And I've learned what to look out for in a person to decide whether or not they're like that." Silver appears to have heard only one word in that list, and that word is:

"Gold?" Silver says. Well, looks like things are progressing much more quickly than I expected.

"Yes, Gold. He was being his perverted self around Joey, so that's how I figured it out. He's not really into Joey, though. He's like Green is around guys; just perverted. Nothing more to it at all." I explain.

"Why do you feel the need to tell me that he doesn't have feelings for Joey?" Silver's eyes narrow.

"Believe me, I can figure out when a person likes another person. Even if it doesn't seem like it on the outside. Because I've been around way too many people like that to be oblivious to it." Although, people say that people are oblivious to the romance in their lives… Could Red actually like me and have shown multiple signs of it, but I've been too oblivious to realize them…?

I really hope that other people are willing to point them out to me, if that's the case.

"Are you trying to imply what I think you're trying to imply?" Silver asks, eyes narrowing further.

"I'm not implying anything; I know." If looks could kill, I'd be dead in a heartbeat.

"Why do you think I could ever love someone like that? He's annoying, he's whiney, he's… He's Gold!" Silver shouts.

"I never said 'love,' I just said 'like.' Is there something you're trying to hint towards me?" I really like doing this to people.

He looks at me with even more hatred and annoyance.

"I will tell you once, and I hope you understand it fully. I have never, I do not, and I will never, in my life, have any feelings for that boy." Silver says this through his teeth.

"And why not? He's not too bad once you get to know him. That's _why _I got you to give him a chance. Silver, I know that he'll do good for you and that you'll do good for him." I really don't want him to get away… not at this stage!

"Then why don't you date him if you think he's so great?"

"I never said that I think he's great; I just said that I think that he'd be great for you, and that you'd be great for him. Anyways, I'm still in love with Red." Speaking to Silver about me loving Red… is easier than telling Gold. Probably because I've already told someone, and I had that chat earlier.

"So, Silver-"

"Yoo-hoo!" I'm interrupted. Silver and I turn to see…

That girl from before! The one who was in the Bellsprout Tower with us, who completely ignored our need for help when we almost died!

What's she doing here?

"Oh, great… She's back…" Silver groans.

"You mean she's been travelling with you all this time?"

"Yes."

"Then why haven't we seen her besides that one time that we were in Bellsprout Tower?" I ask.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" I think I'll do just that.

"Hey, I have a question for you." I ask the girl.

"What is it?"

"If you've been hanging around Silver so much, why haven't we seen you since the Tower incident?"

"I don't like being around danger. It's too… dangerous, you know? I like to hang back and watch events unfold; not be part of them. I've been near every time that you and Silver and the other two boys got into trouble, but I didn't think I needed to intervene. I wouldn't want to risk getting hurt, and you didn't look like you needed any assistance!" …What?

"How did you know that we didn't need any assistance when it was happening? We could've died, and you wouldn't have helped us because you thought that we didn't need any?" I question.

"Yep! Don't worry; I know how strong Silvy is!" She skips over to Silver and presses her chest against the top of his head – I can really see the height difference between the two this way.

"My name's Silver, not 'Silvy.' And what are you doing here anyways?" Silver asks, moving out from beneath her.

"Because the danger's gone, Silvy! Now that you're out of the collapsing tower and away from those grunts, there's nothing to worry about, right? I mean, if you were to run into danger right after having those two things happen to you, I might as well stay away from you guys whenever Silver joins up with you!" I'm thinking of a new question, now…

"Hey… We were in trouble at the Bellsprout Tower. If you don't want to be around us whenever trouble arises, why were you with us then?" I ask.

"Because that trouble was caused by you guys. All of the other trouble wasn't. When you went to catch Teddiursa, you didn't know that there was an Ursaring nearby that'd try to kill you, and when you went into the tower to save that girl, you didn't know that the tower would start to collapse as soon as you got in. Well, near it, but still!" Speaking of Jasmine, I think I should mention that we dropped her off at the nearest Refuge Camp.

"You should really expect trouble whenever you're near us, anyways." She really should. I know she doesn't know us well, but if she's planning on sticking with Silver, she's going to have to learn about us as well.

Since we're all going to be travelling together eventually.

And that eventually will hopefully have started as soon as Silver agreed to stick with us for a while.

I really don't want him to leave.

I want him and Gold to get together before the end of this region's plot… thing…

I want them to get together faster than it's taken – or will take – Red and I to get together; three years! I don't want them to have to wait that long! Although, technically there's a guy back on Earth I had liked for six years, and with me liking Red for a year before being brought here, then me liking Red for three years here… that's ten years between two guys.

Wow.

I've never really thought of how much time that really is…

Close to half of my life!

I really need to stop getting off track…

"I really should, shouldn't I… Hey, Silver, look who's coming back!" The girl points behind Silver and low and behold, there's Gold and Joey. Looks like Gold's finally stopped whining and complaining about Silver winning.

"Silver, I'm…" Gold starts.

"Say it…" Joey pressures.

"I'm sorry, alright?!" It doesn't sound like it, but I'll take it! An apology will hopefully get Silver to like you more, not less. Although, knowing him… you never know what'll happen.

"You'd better be." At least that's better than getting even angrier at him.

"So, I'll leave you three to chat, while I talk with Philippe here…" Wait, me? What for?

The girl pulls me away from the other three and begins talking.

"So… I overheard what you and Silver were talking about earlier, about him and Gold…" Ah… so that's what this is all about.

"And what do you think about them?" I question.

"I think that they'd work perfectly together as well! The only problem is that neither of them will admit to liking one another when it's so blatantly obvious to everyone around them! Even Joey knows that Gold has _some _feelings for Silver! Why do you think he had Gold apologize? Well, that's my opinion, at least."

"You might be right on that… Alright. I have one question before we start our partnership of uniting Gold and Silver. What did you talk to Gold about back at the Bellsprout Tower?" I've been meaning to ask her that the next time I saw her… which happens to be now.

"I just asked him how he felt about Silver and told him I thought they'd look so cute together! Then he blushed and stomped away. Too bad… I didn't even get to ask him everything I wanted to ask him!"

"Yeah, that's Gold for you. Whenever it has to do with something related to relationships, he always tries to avoid it. At least, romantic relationships. Perverted relationships he's awkward talking about, but he eventually does. Romantic ones, he tries to avoid like the plague."

"Aren't all boys like that, though?"

"I beg your pardon?" Although, I don't really consider myself a "boy" so much… But I guess I can use the fact that I'm technically a "man" as an excuse.

But I don't like that excuse… it makes me feel like a pedophile whenever I think about how much I love Red! But I'm not technically… since back on Earth Red was technically my age.

This entire "aging backwards" and "Red being 11 while I'm 10" thing is really making everything confusing… So, let me think this out for a second.

I was sixteen when I was brought here, turned back to ten, and I'm thirteen right now… that'd be three more years, meaning I'm mentally nineteen right now. Red was… Alright. The Manga was on Black/White when I was brought here. Gold and Silver are sixteen in HeartGold and SoulSilver, and since Red's fourteen when they're eleven, that means that he's three years older than them, meaning he's nineteen in those two chapters. Meaning Red was nineteen when I was brought here, but when I was brought here he turned out to be eleven as soon as I landed, meaning he was also brought back in time a little bit… I think. Anyways, that'd make him nineteen when I was sixteen, and if I'm mentally nineteen right now, that'd make him mentally twenty-two if what happened to me happened to him.

Yeah. I'd put a lot of thought into this even before I was brought here.

Anyways, it means I'm not a pedophile! I really like how my mind works to stop me from feeling guilty about things I shouldn't be feeling guilty for. If I should be feeling anything, I should be blaming those feelings on Mew for making it turn out this way anyways! Although, being sixteen and with Red when he's eleven wouldn't look right, as she said… But, then again, she could've kept him as a nineteen year old and none of this would've had to have happened! But, Red said that he did something terrible that he wanted to change, and bringing me here was the only way to be able to change that… I wonder… is Red's anger getting the best of him while I'm not there to keep him in check? I really hope not… it wasn't showing much after the League, but I'm not sure about now…

"Are you just about done thinking? Because it's been a while…" I snap out of my thoughts.

"Sorry, I seem to be doing that a lot lately. A lot's been happening and I haven't really had any time to think about what exactly _has _happened… And I don't have a lot of time to just be able to think." I apologize.

"That's alright. It's just the fact that the other three are coming back." Silver, Gold, and Joey are all walking towards us as we finish our conversation.

"Should I ask what you were talking about?" Gold questions.

"Knowing you, I don't really think that you'd want to know. Knowing Silver, I'm positive he wouldn't want to know. And knowing Joey… I'm not really sure, considering it doesn't concern him." I hint.

"You mean it concerns me?" Gold asks.

"And… me?" Silver asks as well, knowing a bit more than Gold on this subject due to me talking to him just before the girl appeared.

Speaking of said girl…

"I'm sorry, but none of us know your name yet!" I can't believe I haven't tried to say her name after all this time!

"Oh? My name's just a formality; you've all been fine without knowing it before, why do you think it's any important to know now?"

"Just so we'll be able to contact you in the future if anything happens." I say, hinting towards the conversation we had about Gold and Silver earlier. I'm also curious to see if there's really any last names here…

"Couldn't I just give you my number instead?" She pulls out a PokéDex.

"Alright, why does everyone have one of these things while I had to go to so much trouble to get one?!" Gold complains.

"Because I, for one, was given it by Red, who was given it by Oak, Silver stole his, Green was given his by his Grandfather, also Oak, Blue got hers by the same method Silver got his, but Oak decided to let her keep it, and Yellow was given hers by Oak later on as well. You… I have no idea how you got yours."

"From Oak, silly!" She says as if it were the most obvious thing ever.

"How do we know that? You could've stolen it just like Blue and Silver did! And why are you so reluctant on giving us your name?" Gold asks.

"It's making you seem like you don't want us to know your name because you're guilty of something…" Joey adds.

"If you were to just give us your name, we wouldn't have to worry about that!" Gold finishes.

"Fine. My name is Celeste, if you want to know that badly." No last name… have to ask Celebi the next time I see it if there's really no last name here, or if "Celeste" is just hiding it from us. I never got anyone from Kanto's last names, or Gold's, Silver's, or Joey's. Only last names I know are Professor Oak and Professor Elm, but they're Professors… This is really confusing me. I should just stop thinking about it for now.

"What do you think, Philippe? Should we trust her?" Gold snaps me out of it, as people have been doing so much lately.

"She's been travelling with Silver for a while, and nothing's happened so far… why shouldn't we trust her? She hasn't done anything bad. My way of thinking is that you should judge a person on what you see and hear, what they do, and not what you think or what other people tell you." That's my philosophy on anything; if you don't see it yourself, don't take it as fact.

"Alright! So, now that that's all settled, how about we-" Gold's interrupted by a beeping noise.

"_Silver, your next mission is to head for the Lake of Rage! We suspect that there's some Pokémon activity there… Please check it out! Do you copy, over?"_

Well, that was completely unexpected. And judging from the looks on everyone else's – but Silver's – faces, it was unexpected to them as well. Silver just looks horrified. Probably at the fact that we all just heard that.

"See? What did I tell you, Silver? If we all travel together, then we'll be able to help each other out when they need it! And it sounds like you might need some help, depending on what exactly the situation is…" I say.

"What?! You think that we should just get up and go help Silver with whatever it is he needs to do?! What are you thinking?! What if it has something to do with his criminal activities?!" Gold, you really need to shut up right now. I will _not _have your accusations completely ruin any chance you have with Silver!

"Gold, that's just it: 'what if.' We don't know 'what if.' It might just be something that Silver needs to do for someone, and it not be a criminal activity." I grab Silver by the collar before he can sneak off.

"Don't jump to conclusions, Gold. Like I said with Celeste, judge a person based off of what you see them do, not what you hear about them. And don't get started on 'Silver stealing Totodile;' we still don't know why he did it, and if he doesn't want to tell us, he doesn't have to." I explain, all the while Silver's struggling to get out of my grip.

"Fine, fine… We'll go help him…" Gold finally agrees and I let Silver go.

"Now that we've come to an agreement, what exactly is it that you have to do, Silver? Or are you just as clueless as we are?" I ask.

"I was given an assignment… I go to the place that was specified, find out what I need to do there, do it, and that's it. I don't need any of you to come with me." He says.

"You don't _need _any of us to go with you, but that doesn't mean that we're not going to. We're going to go with you no matter what, just to make sure you're safe. You were with us when we were in trouble – granted, it was Gold that got us into trouble in the first place… but you were still there. Therefore, we'll be there when you need help." I say proudly.

"But I _don't _need your help." Meh, I didn't say exactly what I should've, but…

"Doesn't matter. We're still going with you. And you know that when we put our minds to something, we see it through. Isn't that right, Gold?" He nods his head up and down excitedly.

"Am I ever going to get rid of you people?" Silver asks, pointing towards all of us.

"Nope!"

* * *

Author's Note:

Sorry, sorry, soooooorrryyyyyy that it took longer than normal to update, same with the last chapter, but this month has been the busiest month I've had since I started writing this. After May, things should - and probably will - be going much smoother, and updates should - again, probably will - be coming much faster. Funny how just as I say I want to write more, I write less. But, again, after this month thing's should be going better. Not including this weekend; it's another busy weekend. So, next chapter might take a bit longer as well... but after that things should be better.

Again, read, review, etc. etc.


	64. Masked Man Returns

"Why does the Lake of Rage have to be so far away?" Gold whines.

"It's not _that _far away; and there isn't much difficult in travelling the roads to get there. All it is is a bit of walking, a bit of surfing, a bit more walking, and we're in Mahogany! By the way, there's a Gym there." This gets his attention and makes his attitude a little bit better.

"A Gym? Really?!" Gold says excitedly.

"Yes, but it's a Ice Gym, and if you want to go in order of Weakest to Strongest, this Gym should be your seventh, not your fourth. Your fourth should be back in Ecruteak, but seeing as what's happening… it'll take a while for it to be restored." This dampens his mood once more.

"Don't worry; it probably won't take them too long to rebuild. Right, Silver?" I turn towards the silent boy and Celeste.

"…" Still silent, I see.

"Anyways… we should be closing in on Mahogany pretty soon. There we can rest up and head for the Lake of Rage."

"What kind of Pokémon do you think would be at the Lake of Rage?" Joey asks.

"Probably Magikarp." Gold and Joey just stare at me like I'm an idiot. I swear, I'm not!

"No, serious. Probably Magikarp. Listen to the name, 'Lake of Rage.' What comes to mind when you think of 'Rage?'" I ask.

"Gyarados!"

"Exactly, Gold. And what's the pre-evolution of a Gyarados?" I ask next.

"A Magika- ohhhhhhh…" Now he gets it!

"Exactly! So, if there's a situation, that probably means it has to do with the Magikarp… and the Gyarados."

"I don't really want to be anywhere where there's angry Gyarados…" Gold shivers.

"Yeah, me either…" Joey agrees.

"I don't really care. I've had to handle situations in the past where entire lakes of Pokémon were after me, and I just had Pikachu zap them all at once. Although, it hit the innocents as well… but in this case there probably aren't any of those in the lake. I mean, if there's a situation, that means that the entire thing's probably involved, right?" Gold agrees with me.

"And if I know something about a situation, then it's probably Team Rocket that's behind it." Now I'm starting to sound more like Ash, blaming everything on Team Rocket. Well, it really _is _their fault, most of the time… including this time!

…I think.

"Oh, I think I can see the town!" The two boys begin running towards the gates while Silver just continues his slow walk, chatting with the green-haired girl.

"Honestly, you can't not talk with us forever. Eventually you're gonna have to." He continues ignoring me.

"Fine, I'll let you continue not talking for now, but eventually I'm gonna force something out of you." I run to catch up with the other two boys, leaving Silver and Celeste behind.

We reach the gates and enter the town, heading for the Pokémon Center. I really think it was a bad idea leaving Silver behind, due to the fact that he's probably gonna ditch us, but at least we know where he's going in order to find him once more. If he ditches us, all we have to do is go to the Lake of Rage and we'll find him again!

Gold, Joey, and I hand our pokéballs to the Nurse and take a seat.

"Hey, where do you think Silver is?" Gold asks after a couple of minutes of the red-head not showing up.

"He probably ditched us and went ahead to the Lake of Rage. Don't give me that look. Gold, we know where he's headed and we know where he's expected. He has a mission there; he's not gonna abandon whoever assigned it to him. We know he's at the Lake, so once we're all set we're gonna head over there, alright? We'll run into him again, and then we'll make sure we don't let him out of our sights!" I like the fact that Gold now doesn't like the fact that Silver's running away. Not just because he hasn't had a real battle with him since now he has, but because he likes having Silver around.

And he still wants a re-match with him, but that's better than nothing!

We retrieve our Pokémon from the Nurse, thank her, and head on out towards the Lake.

"More walking?" Gold looks at me.

"Yes, more walking. It's much less than the trip here, though. It's only a little ways north. Just stop complaining and start moving." He whimpers, but listens.

A couple minutes later we arrive at the gate that leads to the lake, although said gate's being blocked by a mob of people, as well as police and Jennies.

"I think something much bigger than we expected's going on here…" You don't say, Joey?

"Alright, now we're gonna have to sneak past the crowd in order to get in. You thinking what I'm thinking?" Joey and Gold look at me with blank faces.

I send out Gengar and have him make all of us invisible, just like I had him do with Yellow back when we snuck into Victory Road. Looks like he's able to spread his power over three people instead of just two, now. That means he's stronger! Yay!

"How's this even possible?" Gold asks.

"The power of Pokémon. Never underestimate them. Now, come on, but be quiet; we can still be heard." I whisper.

"Alright." Both of the boys whisper back. We begin to tip-toe our way past the guards and the police and the crowd, eventually making it in and through the gates. There seems to be a much larger crowd _inside _the area containing the Lake than the outside, although this crowd's running _away _from the Lake instead of trying to get a look at it. And I can see why. So can Gold and Joey.

"W-what?!" Joey shrieks. I have Gengar lower his invisibility since the screaming basically gave away our location, so it really wouldn't have any effect.

"Looks like it _does _have something to do with the Magikarp and Gyarados! I was right!" Yes, Magikarp, Gyarados, and even a shiny Gyarados!

Speaking of shiny Gyarados… the only shiny Pokémon that I've ever caught were Pokémon that were given to me shiny, or that had a 100% chance of being shiny. Just like this one!

"Philippe, how is it possible that Gyarados of this size live in the lake?!" Gold shrieks.

"More than likely Team Rocket. They seem to be behind everything lately." I explain.

"What if it runs loose in the city?! We'll all be in danger!" A man screams as he runs past us. Seriously… how can a Gyarados even run loose in a city? It's a Water Pokémon. _Water. _As in, it has to be in the _water _in order to survive. If it's out of the water it'll die… I think. I guess I have to give him a break, though. He _is _in complete hysterics, after all.

"Philippe, I think I see Silver and that girl!" Joey points towards a spot in the distance, and low and behold, there they are!

"After them!" Gold shouts, beginning to chase the pair. Joey and I run right beside him, all three of us catching up to the duo fairly quickly.

"Hey, Silver! Why'd you try ditching us again?!" Gold shouts across the field towards the red-head, Silver completely ignoring him.

"Don't worry, Gold. I've got this…" I quicken my pace and reach Silver before the other two do.

"Silver, you knew we were going to run into you again eventually, right? We knew where you were headed; why'd you try to lose us again?"

"It was worth a shot." I can't blame him for trying.

"Fine, fine. Anyways, aren't two heads better than one?" I suggest.

"You're starting to sound more like Gold." I sure hope not.

"I'm being serious. Five trainers are much better than just two, as long as they can work together. I know that the three of us can work together; I'm pretty sure that all five of us can do the same. As long as Gold doesn't try to sneak in a battle with you while we're facing the Gyarados…" I have a feeling that he might… hopefully he's not that stupid.

"…_It seems that the Gyarados evolved with help from the energy emitted by the radio waves. I've detected radio waves around this area for quite a while…" _Silver's device goes off again.

"Well, looks like you really _do _need us! How about you go after whatever's causing the radio waves, and we'll take care of things here? It'll give you a second chance to escape us, if you still want to." Silver nods and sends out his Murkrow, the bird carrying him up and away.

"Philippe, you let him get away _again?!" _Gold shouts at me.

"Gold, he needed to be somewhere else for his mission. It's a two part mission: One, calm down the Pokémon here, and two, stop whatever's causing the Pokémon to go on a rampage. Not necessarily in that order, but… yeah. Silver's taking care of whatever caused them to be like this in the first place, which leaves us to stop the Pokémon that've already been put in a rampage. It'll help you train for your next battle against Silver, anyways." Gold grumbles, but eventually agrees.

"Fine…" He sends out his Aipom, Joey sends out his Rattata, and I send out Pikachu.

"Alright, looks like most of the Pokémon here are enraged… I'll take this side of the Lake," I point towards the right and back part, "Joey will take the middle," I point towards the front middle of the lake, "And Gold will take the remainder." I point towards whatever's left on the left side of the lake.

"Alright!" The two boys run off to their side of the lakes while I stay right where I am – which just so happens to be the right side of the lake. I have Pikachu start off with a Thunder, electrifying a large portion of the lake; my side, to be exact. All of the Magikarp faint, while most of the Gyarados faint, save for the largest, as well as the shiny.

"That went… much quicker than expected." What was I expecting, really? Using Electricity against Water Pokémon, in a lake no less. And Gyarados are Water/Flying, meaning Electric attacks do four times the damage. Yeah; I ask myself again: What was I thinking was gonna happen? The Pokémon would be much stronger? Well, yes some Gyarados survived… But over a good ninety-percent of them fainted! If my math skills haven't dwindled since I arrived here.

"Pikachu, Thunder once more." Pikachu uses Thunder on the lake again, this time fainting the rest but the shiny. I guess it's trying to tell me something…

"I think that a shiny Pokémon would really help, don't _you _think, Pikachu?" I ask the mouse. He makes a noise which I take to be a "yes" and throw a pokéball at the giant Pokémon. It's enveloped in a red light, the ball shakes for a couple of seconds, however this is the first time that I try to catch a Pokémon that the Pokémon actually breaks free of the ball.

"Again, don't know what I was expecting. To catch every Pokémon on the first try?" I mumble to myself.

"Pikachu, Shock Wave!" A sure-fire hit, although a weak one, which will hopefully not finish off the Gyarados. Although, one thing I've never understood about Pokémon; why can't you catch fainted Pokémon? Hm… should I risk it on this shiny, or should I not…? Oh well. Pikachu's already launched the Shock Wave and it hits the Gyarados, causing it to faint and begin to just float in the water. It's still on the surface, so I guess another try wouldn't hurt…

I throw another pokéball, this one, again, enveloping the Pokémon in a red glow, the pokéball goes on land, shakes for a bit, and grows still. Well, looks like I've just caught my first shiny!

…Although it doesn't really count, considering this Gyarados is always shiny.

"I really hope that no one was supposed to catch this…" At least no Pokémon I catch will mess up the story as much as me getting Pikachu.

I look towards Gold and Joey and see that most of their Pokémon have been knocked out, but at the same time… the other Gyarados and Magikarp are retreating back towards the center of the lake.

"It appears you've also determined the source of the signal, is that correct?" I hear a certain red-head speak behind me.

"So, Silver, you're finally back! And I guess so; as soon as I caught the red one the rest retreated. Say… you want it? I think it'd go great with your hair." My failed attempt at a joke.

"That joke aside, another Pokémon wouldn't hurt. Especially one that's such a color, and one that's at such a power level. Surviving two Thunders from your Pikachu, with taking four times the damage per hit. It must be extremely powerful…" He says as I hand him the pokéball.

"So, Celeste, why'd you ditch us as well?" I say to the girl standing behind Silver.

"Didn't I tell you? I follow Silvy everywhere! The moment he left you guys, I left with him! Now that he's here again, so am I!" Silver brings his hand to his face.

"And _why _do you feel the need to follow me everywhere?" Silver asks.

"Because I want to!" What an answer.

Gold and Joey manage to catch up with us with their fainted Pokémon inside of their pokéballs.

"You managed to get him again, Philippe!" Gold exclaims.

"And now that the mission is complete, I'll be leaving again." Silver, why do you have to be such a downer?

"Silver, why are you always in a rush to leave? We helped you catch the Pokémon and stop the Gyarados' rampage; it's proof that we work well together!" I try to explain to him.

"No. We got here, I left in search of the source, and by the time I realized what it was and got back here, you had already managed it. You did the work; it doesn't show that we're good at team work at all." He explains back.

"Then at least give us a chance to show that we're great at team work! If you never give us a chance, then we'll never really know!"

"Philippe, listen. You think that this is all fun and games, right? Well, it's not. You've been chased by Team Rocket ever since you teamed up with Red, that's correct. You've even been chased by the Elite Four, that's correct. I'm not saying that you haven't been chased by powerful organizations and have not just lived, but stopped them, although with the help of others… but you don't know who I'm up against; he's nothing like Team Rocket. He's nothing like the Elite Four. He's much more powerful than any of them." In your mind, maybe. And isn't the man he's talking about in some way related to the Team Rocket activities in Johto…?

"Are you talking about the Masked Man?" Silver's face becomes blank.

"…What?" Is all he can say.

"I said, 'are you talking about the Masked Man?'" I repeat.

"I heard what you said, but… how do you know him?" Silver asks, his tone becoming more serious.

"The three of us ran into him in Ilex Forest a while ago, just before we hit Goldenrod. He wanted to battle us, and Gold wanted to battle back, but I thought that the best thing to do would be to run. I had never met a trainer or person like that before, so I had, and still have, no idea what his fighting style is or what Pokémon he has. Well, Pokémon, yes, but not his style. If I don't know anything about my opponent, then it'd be best to handle the situation with caution. And because it was obvious that he wasn't on our side and that he was out to get us, or, at least, get us out of Ilex Forest, I thought it'd be best to do as he wanted. So, we got out without a fight." I explain what happened.

"That was a smart idea… And yes, it is the 'Masked Man' that I'm talking about. This man is a man that you have no idea of his power." Isn't that what I just said? "He's a man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants." Which is Celebi, right? Because there _has _to be someone or some organization here that's trying to get it, just like Team Rocket was trying to get Mew before, and Lance was trying to get the Legendary Birds.

"Silver, if he's as powerful as you say he is, and I believe that he is, then wouldn't it be better if we all worked together? If even I was scared, and I still am, of that man, that means that he's really powerful and shouldn't be taken on alone; if you go up against him alone, I'm horrified of what would happen…" Silver thinks about it for a second until…

"So, are you five talking about me behind my back?" And speak of the devil, he's here! And so is the fog that accompanies him everywhere he goes!

"This fog… that voice…!" Gold starts.

"Yes, Gold. It's him." I confirm.

"We meet again…" The Masked Man says.

"What are you doing here?!" Silver shouts.

"That is none of your concern…"

"Let's have a battle then!" That makes no sense whatsoever, and Gold, why do you have to be such an idiot? Did you not hear what we _just _said about him, and how even _I'm _scared to fight him?

"Gold, no! Didn't you hear what we just said! And in addition to it, you'd be at a disadvantage due to all the fog!" Yeah, and there's that.

"I don't care! Quilava, go!" Gold sends out the Pokémon that he kept in reserve against the Gyarados and has him blow his flames, causing the fog to dissipate around him.

"Oh, Gold…" I sigh.

"See? Even just sending him out gets rid of your fog!" Some of it, Gold. Some of it, not all of it.

"So it seems like you've gotten stronger, however little… I'll have you know… So have I! Kingdra, Twister!" The Kingdra begins summoning up a huge twister out of nowhere, due to the fog still obscuring our vision. Quilava's thrown into the air and slammed back into the ground, and Silver decides to help out a bit by sending out Sneasel.

"Gold, stay out of this! This is my battle!" Trying to do it alone, Silver… Sigh…

"Actually, this is _our _battle. Like I said, none of us would be able to defeat him on our own. So… let's work together on this one." And to emphasize my point, Silver drags Gold back a couple of feet.

"Hey! What was that for?!" He shouts.

"Look in front of you." Gold does just that and sees that where he was just standing is now covered in sharp, pointy icicles.

"Try to not get punctured by those, will you?" Silver sighs as well.

"Joey and Celeste, get as far away as you can. Preferably Mahogany to revive your Pokémon, since your only one is fainted, Joey, and I'm not sure if you even _have _any, Celeste." They both nod and begin running.

"…Gold? …Gold, can you hear me?" We hear from Gold's PokéGear.

"Professor Elm? Is that you?" Gold answers, Silver dragging him back further to avoid more icicles.

"Gold, pay attention!" Silver snaps.

"Who do you have there with you?" Elm asks.

"It's me, Gold, and Silver, Professor!" I answer.

"I won't question why you have him with you, but listen! We've found some results from the metallic particles that were found earlier! There's traces of Gym Badges in them! We don't know which badges they came from…" Silver pulls Gold out of the way of another icicle, "But nevertheless, it means that the Masked Man could very well be a trainer! Listen, Gold, if this person is really a trainer, then whatever you do, if you run into him, _do not fight him. _You could be no match for him, depending on his power level!" Over nine-thousand?

"Too late…" Gold answers sheepishly.

"What?"

"We're already fighting him, Professor!" I answer.

"You guys are always getting in my way… But I will put an end to it right now!" We're not _always _in your way… Only when you run into us!

The Masked Man shouts something and his Delibird opens its mouth, its eyes glow blue, and a huge gust of icy cold wind, as well as snow, comes blasting towards us. Blizzard, perhaps?

"The trees are frozen!" Gold states the obvious.

"So… which one of you there wants to go first? Or should I take on all of you at once?"

"You still have time to escape, though…" He adds.

"Sneasel!" Silver shouts.

"Silver? What's happening with Sneasel?!" Gold shouts in concern.

I see Sneasel rush up towards Delibird and begin to attack, but not before the Masked Man launches another one of his own.

"Icy Wind!" Delibird begins blowing out more ice cold wind, slowing Sneasel's progress, but not by much.

"Get him!" Silver orders Sneasel.

"You honestly think that will work?!" The Masked Man has Delibird completely ignores Sneasel and go after Silver himself, the bird smashing Silver on the head.

"Five years…" The man begins, walking towards Silver.

"Five years you've been hot on my trail…"

"They know each other…?" Gold mumbles to himself.

"Why, Silver? For revenge?" The look on Gold's face turns to one of confusion.

"Five years? Revenge? What are you talking about?!" Gold shouts to the man.

"Nine years ago, I kidnapped children who made promising trainers…" Doesn't sound like a pedophile at all!

"Silver was one of them." You don't say?

"You… kidnapped them?! How could you?!" Gold shouts in anger.

"Blue was another one, Gold. That's why she and Silver know each other so well." I explain.

"Yes… that girl was another. They were to become my assistants. Team Rocket used to be such a powerful organization… I never expected that they could be so easily wiped out! It must have been negligence! In order to accomplish my mission, I must enforce strict discipline and raise obedient servants to do my bidding! And children are much easier to control and manipulate… like those Gyarados I made from Magikarp!" The man explains.

"You're despicable…" Gold says lowly, his voice seething with anger.

"The chase ends here, Silver!" Gold begins to move towards Silver but the man's Delibird stops him, positioning an icicle at his throat and a second at my chest. I never realized Gold was standing right next to me… the wind must've killed some of his voice.

"As for you two… I'll deal with you later." He speaks.

"You disappoint me, Silver… If you had stayed with me, you would have made a powerful trainer instead of an errand boy…" He says.

"Excuse me, Masked Man? You're wrong. Even if Silver is an 'errand boy,' he's much stronger than you give him credit for. So is Blue, your other student, remember? She placed third in the Kanto Championships, behind Green and Red. She's cunning and smart, which she probably learned from her days of being beneath you. Both of them have become who they are because of you, and they escaped before they could be even further corrupted like your other students. They may not be as powerful as you wish they would be, but they're powerful in the eyes of everyone around them." I say.

"Is that so…?"

"Yeah! And you know what? The only weakling I see here… is the guy who needs to rely on Team Rocket for everything!" Gold, my statement was enough. You didn't have to go about calling him weak!

"How dare you!" …And that's why.

"Now!" Gold shouts towards the Masked Man. I look to where Gold's pointing and see Silver standing, shouting a command to his Sneasel.

"Gotcha!"

"Why you little…"

"I will not ask you how you know so much about me and Blue, but let's forget about that for now. All that's important right now is defeating him." Silver states.

"Yeah! Let's do it together!"

"Gold, he's been manipulating people and Pokémon to fulfill his wishes." I say.

"We can't let him get away with it!" You've got that right!

"Quilava!" Gold shouts.

"Sneasel!" Silver shouts.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu comes out from hiding and scampers next to me.

"You fools! You honestly think that you have what it takes to defeat me? Well, think again!" The Masked Man points behind us and as we turn around, we come face to face with even more of his Pokémon.

"Oh, great. Even more of them…" I mumble.

"Gold, take care of the Ariados! Silver, you with the Houndoom!" I order. Looks like I'll be taking on the Delibird.

I have Pikachu rush towards the bird, dodging its attacks as he gets closer and closer, until he's right next to it.

"Iron Tail!" I haven't used this since… the Electrode incident, I think, but I have less sympathy for this man here than I did for the grunt back there. The tail comes crashing down on the Delibird's head, but the bird's still up and able to fight.

"Thunder!" Pikachu slams its tail into the bird again, this time imbuing electric powers into the attack instead of steel. The tail crashes down into the bird again, sending static out in all directions. The Delibird's still up and sends out a Blizzard towards us, making me have to cover my eyes and blowing Pikachu back a ways. I return the mouse and send out Gengar instead.

"Alright, Pyschic!" Gengar wags his fingers towards the Delibird and causes the blizzard to stop, and causes pain to the bird as well. The bird moves its hands to its head, as if it had a headache, and eventually falls to the ground, fainted.

I look towards Gold and Silver to see that they're in a world of trouble themselves. Aipom was knocked out during the battle with the Gyarados, so he's of no use right now. Gold's Quilava is knocked out by the Masked Man's Ariados… must be a strong Pokémon, a Bug being able to defeat a Fire-type like that. Silver's Sneasel is also fainted, but that's to be expected. Houndoom's a Fire and Dark type, so the Fire takes care of the Ice easily.

"Pikachu, Thunder!" Pikachu launches a Thunder towards the Ariados, but the Bug easily dodges it by scurrying off to the side.

"Dammit… Pikachu, Shock Wave!" This time the move hits, but it does very little damage. Silver's returned his Sneasel by this point and sends out Croconaw. That should help with the Houndoom… I hope.

The Ariados hurries to Pikachu and uses Pin Missile, the attack hitting all five times, severely hurting Pikachu in the process.

"Try another Shock Wave!" Pikachu does just that, doing a little more damage, but the Ariados uses another Pin Missile and faints Pikachu.

This is the first time that Pikachu's fainted in a long while… I guess I was right when I had Gold and Joey run away from this guy the last time we ran into him.

I return Pikachu and send out my next Pokémon, Cubone.

"Bonemerang!" Cubone throws its bone towards the Ariados and hits it, the Ariados sending more Pin Missiles as the bone makes its return trip, missing the spider on its way back. The missiles hit Cubone dead on, all five of them, and knocks the baby out right away.

I take a quick glance at Silver and see that he's still fighting Croconaw; at least his Pokémon hasn't fainted… I return Cubone and send out my third, Gengar.

"Psychic!" Hopefully type-advantages will help me in this situation. Gengar wags its finger, Ariados seems to be affected by the attack, and is knocked out. Good… now all that's left is the Houndoom.

I rush over to Silver's side to see that, amazingly, his Croconaw's been fainted by a Pokémon that's supposed to be weak to it. Houndoom now turns towards Gengar. Oh great… In the games, the only Pokémon that my Gengar has ever had trouble with is Houndoom.

And this is why: Houndoom uses Crunch on Gengar and one-shots the ghost.

I'm now down to one Pokémon… heh, when was the last time that this happened? When I was against Red or Green back in Kanto, I think.

I send out my last Pokémon, Dragonair. Silver sends out his last Pokémon, the one that I gave to him not long ago, his new Gyarados.

"Let's see how you deal with this, Masked Man! The Pokémon that you forced to evolve out of its own free will!" Silver shouts towards the man.

"So, you've caught the Gyarados, have you? Well, not that it really matters. I still have some Pokémon left as well!" The Masked Man takes a pokéball from his pocket and sends out another one, one that I've forgotten about and is the first Pokémon of his that we saw: His Gastly.

"Gastly, Control!" I've never heard of that move before…

Gastly floats over towards the Gyarados and… is absorbed into him? Silver's Gyarados begins acting strange and thrashes about wildly.

"Let's see how you like it now…! Gyarados, Hyper Beam!" The Masked Man orders Gyarados… wait… the _Masked Man _orders…?

This… this is bad. This is very, very bad. And the reason I can think of this after he orders Gyarados to attack is because Gyarados has to charge up the attack.

"Gold, Silver, I think we should run now…" I suggest. The other two boys nod their heads.

"Not so fast…! You'll never get away!" Uh-oh… Gyarados has the attacked readied and…

Launches it right towards us!

* * *

Cliffhanger, dun dun DUUUUUN. Unless you've read the manga. Then you have an idea of what's coming up next. And even though the next part is Crystal's story, I'll be briefly explaining what happened to her when we run into her and become bestest friends. After an awkward greeting. Because when haven't I had an awkward start with any of the protagonists? Besides Red. Although, that was kind of awkward too... Anyways, read/review, etc.


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